Miles To Go Before I Sleep
by LuchaLibre82
Summary: Set immediately after the events of the Season 5 finale. Follows the crew on their escape from the dreaded Billith, and beyond. The main focus here will be Pam and Tara, but everyone will get some love.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Miles To Go Before I Sleep

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters, locations, etc. from True Blood, and I'm not making any money off this thing, so please don't sue me, 'cause I'm poor as fuck and all I really have claim to in this world are my cats. They love me. They wouldn't appreciate it. Kthanks.

**Author's Note: **All I've written in as long as I can remember are academic papers, so bear with me, and please be kind, but do review and give me all the constructive criticisms! Also take note, it's looking like it's gonna be kinda long. Already have the second chapter near ready, just need to put some finishing touches on it.

**Ch. 1**

At the first hint of fresh air they ran, some faster than others. Jason stomped up to the black truck as the rest of the group were already settling in and looking back towards the compound, worry and anticipation in their worn faces. The two Authority guards who hadn't charged into the building at the first sign of trouble appeared at his left in a flash, but he made short work of them.

Nora positioned herself behind the steering wheel and started the ignition, ready to be on their way as soon as her brother and Sookie Stackhouse joined them, with or without Bill Compton. A touch of regret settled on her jaw. She had gotten Eric into this mess, and now she had no idea what he was going through. Her beautiful brother. She knew he bore her no ill will, not yet anyway, but if they all made it out of this mess she was determined to make it up to him somehow. If, however, certain members of their party didn't, she knew she may never be able to and she tried to settle that within herself.

Jason climbed into the cab, squeezing in next to Jessica who's blue eyes searched for any sign of the human she had recently fallen in love with; the man she had forsaken her first love for, and all the warmth, security and normalcy that he afforded her. His brow was furrowed, not at all excited at having seen a vampire behind the wheel of his ride, again, but too overcome with fear for his little sister to argue the matter.

"Where the fuck are they?" he muttered, successfully avoiding the desperate blue orbs that were still fixed on his face.

"She's okay, Jason," Jessica tried to reassure him, "Bill would never hurt her...and...well, Eric is with her," she finished with a weak smile.

Jason just stared, ignoring her for several moments, before whispering under his breath,

"Fucking leeches."

Jessica's shoulders slumped at the insult, and she finally broke her stare, refocusing her eyes on her hands, on her lap, on anything but his face. Something was wrong with him, and she couldn't put her finger on it, but she figured now wasn't the time. She decided she would just stay beside him, watch his back, and hope. Yes, that seemed the best course of action for the moment. She turned to Nora.

"Are you able to feel him at all? Um...Eric? Being his sister and all? I don't exactly know how..." she started.

"No," Nora cut her off, but turned her head towards the small window that accessed the bed of the truck. Pam and Tara sat there and appeared equally as focused on the direction from which they'd run.

"Pamela?" Nora called, "Eric...?"

"No," Pam answered her curtly, but her voice was slightly shaken and her eyes never moved, "I don't know. He released me."

Pam couldn't feel him, not even a hint of him, and it was tearing her apart. She had made it out of that cell. She had made it up those stairs and onto that elevator after having gotten to experience his presence for not long enough before he left her again. She had made it out of the building and onto the truck where she now sat and waited, and all she wanted to do was run back in after him.

She wouldn't though. She couldn't. Tara had come for her and Pam wouldn't just throw that away. Not now. Eric had released her after over a century of devotion and service. Tara, who was kneeling in the bed of the truck behind her, who had placed a hand on her waist as Pam spoke, in a futile but appreciated attempt to comfort her, and who's thumb was slowly carving a two inch path into the fabric of her corset; Tara was her priority now, after just weeks together, weeks mostly filled with a whole lot of strife. Pam would not leave her. She would simply let her hand meet Tara's at her waist, she would link their fingers together, and she would keep watching.

Pam didn't quite know how to process the last hour of her life. She had been sure she was going to die inside the building that she now looked back at. She was sure that she would never see her progeny again after taking the blame for Tara's dumb stunt, and if it meant that Tara would be safe Pam knew that she would take the blame and face a true death for her again. In a second. She was not, however, entirely sure how she felt about that fact, or the fact that Tara had readily put her life and the lives of others on the line to save her. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about the kiss they had just shared; a kiss that rocked her world in ways she didn't even realize it could be rocked. She wasn't sure how she felt about their flirtatious banter in the elevator, or the protective eye and hand that Tara kept on her on their way out of the compound. She was rolling with the punches, matching Tara where she could, which was no easy task. The younger woman was shocking her with gallantry every step of the way and Pam could not help but be moved by it. Romantic Victorian sensibilities that she was sure had died in her ages ago had started surfacing and they were scaring the fuck out of her.

Tara was impressive, and Pam was not easily impressed. She clearly realized then what she had only guessed at thus far. She had done well. Her arrangement with Sookie Stackhouse for the creation of her progeny was proving a win/win, and while she had no fucking clue how to process so much of the last hour, Pam was finding it impossible to create any distance between her body and Tara's in that moment.

Eric wouldn't want her to, anyhow. It was why he released her. To spare her, and she would respect that given the situation. She would respect it and guard Tara as Tara guarded her. She sighed, her eyes still unmoving. Tara squeezed her hand.

Tara's eyes had shifted from the Authority compound where they had been set for minutes now to her maker's face when she heard Pam's quiet sigh. Pam's emotions were so heightened that through the blood they shared Tara could feel so much of what was plaguing her maker. So much fear, confusion and helplessness with bits of desire and surprising warmth added into the mix and directed at Tara, which served to further bewilder both of them. It was beyond intense. Tara knew they shared a bond, but thus far in her experience with Pam the older vampire had made her walls near impenetrable, and Tara knew that Pam had been far more privy to Tara's output of emotion than Tara had been to hers.

Tara wanted to comfort Pam. She couldn't remember ever wanting anything more. She wanted to rescue her all over again, but she just tightened her hold on Pam's hand for the moment, knowing that much else from her would be unwelcome and even inappropriate. She kept watching her, figuring that she would probably be able to see a sign in Pam's eyes of Eric and Sookie's emergence before she would be able to see it with her own, even as keen as her senses had become in her afterlife.

And there it was. Pam's eyes widened a fraction of a millimeter, and they brightened, which caused a knot to form in Tara's throat.

Pam was a vision.

She turned to face Tara.

"He's coming," she said, meeting Tara's gaze for a second, just long enough to send a jolt through the both of them, before turning her attention to Nora, "He's coming."

In the blink of an eye Eric was in the bed of the truck, Sookie in his arms, both of their faces petrified.

"Go!" he yelled, banging his hand on the side of the truck, his wide eyes aimed at the building he had just escaped, "Go!"

Nora had the truck in gear and the group on their way before the second word even left his mouth. Dust and gravel shot out behind them as they started to speed away. Her brother was panicked and as such she wasn't going to fuck around. The group reached the gate and the truck rammed through it, but as soon as they hit the open road Eric and Sookie's eyes widened and they looked at each other. Eric then shot his eyes to meet Pam's and his terror stricken gaze made her stomach turn.

"Eric, what the fuck..." she started, but before she could finish, it hit her. A pain like none she had ever before experienced; a high pitched wail that entered through her ears and immediately made its way to cut at every nerve ending in her body. It felt like she was being bathed in silver and sunlight; like her gut was being filled with the shit, and like she was being bludgeoned in the skull all the while. Her face contorted as it began to take her over. Eric's did as well.

"Tara!" he yelled, trying to maintain focus through his pain. He looked over at his grand progeny then, fearing that the compulsion that he and Pam were currently experiencing to leap from the truck and speed heart first into the nearest tree branch they came across would prove too much for the infant vampire. Pam had never let go of Tara's hand, however. She turned to her and she was able to pull Tara's body towards her to hold her in place rather easily despite the torture she currently suffered.

They all suffered. The vampires more so than the humans, but the humans were not spared. Tara had doubled over and her scream was animalistic. Blood tears poured down her face, and her hand grabbed at her ears and hair and tore at them.

"Go!" Eric yelled at his sister, and she went, but even the strength that she had developed over centuries was not enough to keep her entirely composed. She shrieked as she drove erratically and tried to keep one arm around young Jessica, who was frantically trying to claw her way out of the truck, buckets of bloody tears flowing from her eyes. Jason buried his head in his hands and pulled at his hair. He cried out for his dead parents, and kicked at the dash. Sookie was the least affected of the group, but the pain hit her as well. Eric held her firmly against his chest and she sobbed into him, her hands gripping his shirt, which was all that she could do to hold him to her. His ears started to bleed.

Pam and Eric heard it first. An explosion. Seconds later they felt a drizzle from above. Blood. It was raining blood. Pam had no idea what the fuck was happening, but Eric knew. Bill had come to the surface and he was after them.

"Nora, faster!" he screamed, and she obliged, careening the truck down the abandoned industrial road at well over one hundred and twenty miles an hour. It wasn't fast enough though, and he knew it. He grabbed Pam then and forced her eyes to meet his.

"Pamela, take Sookie," he commanded before grabbing Tara by her arms and raising her body so that he could see her face.

Pam did as he said with no argument, releasing her progeny as he took her into his hands, and taking hold of the half-fairy, focusing all of her strength in an effort not to drain her right then and there. She smelled amazing, and Pam was beside herself, in a world of pain.

"Tara," Eric growled at the young vampire. She tried to look up at him, but her face twisted in pain again and she violently pulled away.

"No. _TARA_!" he yelled again, shaking her, finally able to get enough of her focus to continue, "You. Follow. Us." he ordered, his head gesturing towards Pam and Sookie.

She nodded and he cupped her cheek in praise for just a second. When he released her she grabbed onto the side of the truck bed and braced herself, staring at Pam as if she was the only thing left in the world. Eric made his way to the window then to address his sister. Despite having to contend with her own pain, the truck she was handling, and a crazed Jessica scratching at her face, Nora managed to look up at him through the rear view mirror.

"We need to run," he yelled, "You lead Jessica!"

She nodded and brought the truck to a stop as quickly as she was able to without sending it's occupants flying. In the blink of an eye, Eric sped to the passenger's side of the truck and grabbed Jason who was in no position to fight off the vampire, as much as he would have wanted to. Tara was behind him in a flash, and Pam who had an arm around Sookie's waist and the halfling's feet off the ground. Nora took hold of Jessica and they were off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of True Blood bedsides the love my heart bears for it and the dreams that I have about Pam, so don't sue me. Cheers!

**Author's Notes: **Y'all are amazing! Thank you so much for the reviews. Here is Chapter 2! It's less action packed than the first and more conversational, but still fun, I think. Just kind of letting my muse lead me here. I don't have an outline and I don't exactly know where I'm going with this story yet, but I have some ideas ;). Ooh! And if any of you have a moment and a desire to maybe help me figure out some biblical type shit, message me. Don't wanna give too much away. Anywho! Enjoy!

**Ch. 2**

They ran for an hour before the pain fully subsided, and they kept running for nearly another hour before stopping. Pam released her hold on Sookie as soon they reached their destination, and the young woman hurled forward and vomited. Jason and Eric came to a halt right after them and they both stepped towards Sookie, but Jason's own nausea took over immediately and he found himself unable to fight it. He wretched, while Eric completed his approach towards Sookie and laid a hand on her back.

Nora stopped and let go of Jessica's hand. The redhead fell to her knees and started to sob. She did not know what had happened back at the Authority, or why Bill wasn't with them, but whatever happened wasn't good. She felt consumed by a darkness that replaced any hint of the bond she had shared with her maker. While the speed at which she had run would not inspire the reaction in her that it had in the humans, something had.

She felt sick. Very sick.

Tara's feet didn't stop until she reached her maker, who's anxious eyes had already been searching for her. She practically fell into Pam's arms, and they clung to each other desperately. Tara cried into Pam's neck silently, overwhelmed by what they had just survived.

"Shhh, you're okay," Pam whispered into her ear, her thumb now attempting to do the work that Tara's had been doing earlier in the truck. She breathed in the smell of her progeny; currently musk and blood, but with a faint hint of tobaccoo and peaches just under the surface. She took in as much of Tara as she could, not giving two fucks about the possibility of an audience in that moment.

"Are you?" Tara whispered back, shaken, and Pam tightened her hold on her. Pam didn't answer her with words, but Tara started to calm herself.

They were back in Shreveport and standing in the parking lot of Fangtasia. The club was a welcome sight for all of them, even Jason. Eric, Nora and Tara had readied a cargo van earlier that night with supplies, money and coffins, and it sat there waiting for them. They had no way of knowing what would transpire when they embarked on their journey to the Authority, but now they knew. They would have to keep running, and they were glad to have prepared for that possibility earlier as they had precious little time.

"Pam," Eric began, "Go grab anything you can't leave behind. Be quick about it. We need to go. There are only a couple of hours left until dawn."

His progeny and hers were still locked in a tight embrace, but Pam met his eyes when he called her name and she slowly let her hands fall to Tara's waist. She whispered into Tara's ear once more before pulling her body away, her face already morphing back into stone.

"We're okay."

It took Tara a second longer to move, but Pam's words made her feel like she could without losing herself completely. She stepped away from her maker as she turned to head into Fangtasia. Tara kept her head bowed and her eyes effectively avoided anyone else's. It was time to pull herself together.

Pam made her way into the club. In the office a picture of her and Eric sat on a shelf, tucked into the corner of a frame. It was all she needed. She saw the van filled with transport coffins out front and she knew that Eric and Tara had packed necessities earlier. She was ready once she had that picture in her hand, but before stepping back outside she let her blue-gray eyes scan over the club one more time. Her face was stoic and her own words echoed in her head...

_We live in the wind._

When she stepped back into the parking lot Pam could sense that the situation had gotten a little...tense. Jason was on his knees next to Sookie and she looked up at Eric's back. He was arguing with Nora who stood over them. Their words were quiet, but heated. Tara had made her way over to Jessica and was helping the teenager to her feet, keeping a hand on the small of her back to steady her. They both watched the vampire siblings intently. Pam walked towards the younger vampires and Jessica looked up at her, eyes pleading.

"Pam..." she started, but she couldn't find the words to finish. Tara placed her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"What's going on?" Pam drawled.

"Nora's freaking out," Tara answered her quietly and motioned towards the siblings.

"Eric, really. _Really_ think about this!" Nora hissed, "If we keep them with us we'll be sitting ducks, just waiting for Bill to hone in on them. He will always be able to find us."

"It's out of the question. I won't," her brother shot back at her. Pam immediately guessed at what they were arguing about. Without thinking she gracefully stepped in front of Jessica and crossed her arms around her chest, an action that went unnoticed by Eric and Nora, but one that made a glimmer of hope shine in Jessica's bright blue eyes. Tara squeezed her friends shoulder.

"Eric please..." Nora started, but Pam cut in loudly, causing everyone to look over to where she stood, her body still set between the two baby vampires and the rest of the group.

"Shouldn't we be...oh...I don't know...leaving? What the fuck is everyone doing?" she snarled, "The time for potty breaks has passed."

"Nora doesn't want us to come with you guys," Sookie answered, her face still several shades of green, "Me and Jess, 'cause Bill will probably be able to find y'all more easily."

"Yeah, well, she's probably right," Pam huffed, "Leaving the two of you is probably the smart thing to do," she continued. She could almost feel Tara's face harden behind her and she heard a small gasp escape Jessica's mouth, "but doing what's _smart_ hasn't been something most of this crew has been able to cop to lately, so can we wrap this shit up and get on the road?" she snapped, "I'm tired."

"Pamela, I don't think you understand the gravity..." Nora began, glaring at Eric's progeny, but Pam quickly cut her off,

"Listen here _bitch_, I still don't really know who the fuck you are, and I definitely don't give a fuck what you think I understand about the situation. I'll be damned if..." Pam growled back, her hands falling to her sides, forming fists, and her feet stepping forward forcefully.

"Stop!" Sookie yelled, rising to her feet with the help of her big brother, "Just stop," she sighed, before continuing.

"Sookie," Eric breathed.

"Eric," Sookie quieted him, placing a hand on his chest, "you too. I have somewhere I can go," she said, finally, and she lowered her hand to grab Jason's, "Somewhere we can go. Somewhere safe."

"Fucking awesome, 'cause I've had just about enough of these dead f..." Jason started, pulling his hand away from hers to press both of his to his temples.

"Shut it, Jason," Sookie snapped at him, "Uh, Pam? Can you get ahold of them?" the halfling asked, her eyes shifting towards Tara and Jessica who still stood behind the older vampire, their jaws set and their courage slightly refreshed by Pam's efforts thus far. Pam looked at Sookie quizzically, but she stepped back towards the two younger women.

"Claude?" Sookie called into the open air. A few seconds passed, seconds the rest of the group spent wondering what exactly she was getting at, but then a bright light shone around her. A moment later a handsome young man stood in front of the half-fairy, smiling down at her, a mild look of concern on his face.

"Oh yeah!" Jason exclaimed, smiling.

"Sookie," Claude acknowledged her calmly, still smiling, "Hey."

Five sets of fangs clicked behind him and Claude shot around.

"What?! Whoa, fuck!" he screamed and jumped back a few paces, almost losing his footing, his arms outstretched in an attempt to push the Stackhouse siblings back with him.

Nora's eyes rolled back into her head as she breathed in the fairy's smell,

"Oh fuck me. That smell. Eric...?"

"No, sister," Eric answered her, retracting his fangs in an attempt to show the fairy that the group would refrain from eating him for the moment. His eyes still glared hungrily, but he composed himself within a matter of seconds.

"Oh come the fuck on!" Pam growled to the right of the rest of them, each of her arms wrapped around a baby vampire waist, holding them in place as they had both become nearly feral at the smell of the fairy. They lunged at him, fangs bared and eyes wild.

"Just hold them, Pam," Eric commanded her, and she did as he said, but she herself found it difficult to break her own vicious gaze from the young man who now stood gawking at them, terrified, eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

"Claude...Claude, it's okay," Sookie tried to settle him, rather unsuccessfully, "They're my friends."

"That's a bit of an overstatement where some of us are concerned, I assure you," Pam snarled, still holding the two younger women in place. They had started to calm themselves, Jessica more readily than Tara, but their fangs were still descended and their eyes still manic.

"Pamela!" Eric boomed at her. She shut up.

"Anyway," Sookie shook her head quickly and turned her eyes back from Pam to Claude who was looking at her worriedly, "They won't hurt you."

"Right," Claude gulped, not at all believing her, "Did you need something, Sookie?"

"Oh, um, yeah. I wondered if you could hide us...? Me and Jason...? Something's happened, I can't really go into a whole lotta detail right now, but..."

"Of course," Claude answered her quickly, "Can we go?"

Sookie jerked a little at his question. She knew he was anxious, but she hadn't been prepared to just...go. She turned to Eric, who's eyes had widened. They were only looking at her now. They stared at each other for several moments, neither having the words to say what they needed to say to each other right then. Eric just gave her a small nod. She breathed deeply before looking back at Claude.

"Yeah," she paused, "Okay," she finished solemnly. As the last syllable left her mouth Claude took her hand and Jason's and they were gone, leaving only a flash of light in their wake.

The vampires all watched the light for a second before a small cry was heard from Jessica. She wasn't sure if she felt more pain at the loss of Jason's presence, or at the loss of the fairy's intoxicating scent, but she definitely felt pain.

Pam immediately let go of her, rolling her eyes.

"Fucking can it, red," she spat before stepping towards her maker, "Eric? What the fuck?"

Nora had been correct in her earlier assesment. Pam still didn't have an actual and complete understanding of the gravity of the situation, and it was starting to piss her off. The sound of her voice and her approach seemed to snap Eric out of the momentary daze he'd fallen into, watching the spot where Sookie had disappeared from. His eyes shot over to her.

"We don't have time right now, Pam. I'll explain when we get on the road," he said, moving back towards his sister to finish their discussion. His eyes met Nora's and he pointed towards Jessica, "She stays with us. We might need her. That's final."

Nora's mouth opened to say something, but she stopped herself, choosing instead to just roll her eyes and follow him as he stalked towards the van. Pam looked back towards Tara and Jessica and they were at her side in a second. The group loaded into the vehicle, Eric taking the wheel now, and Nora sitting shotgun. Pam, Tara and Jessica piled into the back and awkwardly tried to position themselves uncomfortably around and on top of a collection of travel coffins, cases of Tru Blood, and miscellaneous supplies. Eric started up the van and had them on their way in the blink of an eye.

Pam searched through the supplies that had been packed until she found a gallon of water and a rag. She proceeded to wipe away any evidence that the few bloody tears that had dried and that were now cracking on her face had ever fallen. She cringed internally remembering the pain she felt earlier, wondering what the hell had caused it. When she set down the gallon of water Tara followed suit and then Jessica. They all helped themselves to bottles of Tru blood, Jessica dramatically scowling at the taste of the synthetic liquid. They needed sustenance, but after having smelled a pure bred fairy the Tru Blood tasted less like the normal human piss it normally mimicked, and more like tom cat piss. Infected tom cat piss.

They rode in silence for a few minutes, Eric swiftly maneuvering the van down Shreveport's sleeping city streets.

"Eric?" Pam called quietly from the back of the van to him after a few minutes had passed. He made no move to look at her, keeping his eyes planted on the road, seemingly taking them towards a pre-determined destination, which comforted her a little.

"Bill drank the blood of Lillith. He drank all of it. He," Eric paused, unsure of how to continue, but finding the words after a moment, "It's bad."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of these guys, and nothing from True Blood. If y'all decided to give me any of these hot bitches though, I sure as shit wouldn't complain. Just putting that out there. Don't sue me. I do this out of love...and withdrawal...not for money.

**Author's Note: **Y'all are much to good to me. Your reviews are inspiring me so keep 'em coming! Here is chapter 3. I probably won't be able to update again until the weekend. Starting a new job tomorrow, and need to get some grad school applications out of the way, or at least closer to out of the way than they are now. Shit's gonna get all kindsa interesting in the next couple of chapters though...trust. Actually gonna bust my computer out for them, haha. The iPhone writing is getting kinda old. Makes my eyes bleed. Enjoy! And thanks again!

**Ch. 3**

"So what you're fucking telling me is that _sad sack_ Bill-Fucking-Compton has become some sort of pissed off sanguinista demi-god, able to make it _rain blood, AND_ do whatever the fuck it was he did to us back there?!" Pam questioned her maker incredulously from the back of the van where she tried to balance herself on the edge of a sleek travel coffin. Nora answered her before Eric was able to, her accent instantly grating at Pam's nerves, a reminder of a number of pompous British fucks from her human youth.

"I don't know that he actually made it rain blood as much as he..." she started.

"I was talking to Eric," Pam spat, cutting her off. Nora turned and shot a menacing glare towards her brother's progeny.

"And I've had just about enough of your shit," Nora spat back at the younger vampire, enraged.

"Enough," Eric interjected calmly, still driving the van, racing against a fast approaching sunrise, "Yes, Pam. Something along those lines," he finished, his voice flat and his eyes far away.

"Well," Pam muttered, "Fuck."

"Uh huh," Tara choked. Her eyes had widened significantely as she listened to her grand-sire explain to them just what the fuck had happened back at the Authority compound. She reached into her jacket pocket for her pack of cigarettes and rummaged through the soft pack when she found it. She fished for what she figured would be the last one she'd get to smoke in awhile, before grasping it victoriously and raising it to her lips. Pam's stormy blue-gray eyes narrowed and she turned to look over at her progeny. Tara met her glare, her own dark brown eyes shining with hint of rebellion. She knew exactly what Pam was about to say, but she was determined to smoke her cigarette and she inwardly challenged the baddest of all badasses to try and stop her.

"What?" she asked, but Pam just rolled her eyes in response and turned her attention back to the front of the van, "No, what?" Tara pressed on, before raising her voice a little.

"Does anyone else have a motherfucking problem with my smoking this motherfucking cigarette right now?!" she asked the van, petulantly.

"Oh...well I don't," Jessica chimed in after a few seconds when no one else could be bothered to acknowledge the question, "but, thanks for asking, I guess?"

"Fuckin' A," Tara grumbled, lighting her cigarette and pulling at it slowly, hoping to make it last, "If the motherfucking vampire rapture is _upon us_, I'm gonna smoke myself a goddamn motherfucking cigarette. _Fuck_."

Tara looked up at the back of her maker's head as she took her third drag. Her eyes softened for a second before she turned away, knowing that she would get a friendlier reception from Jessica in that moment.

"Jess?" she said as she inched over to the red head, who looked paler than usual. Jessica gave her a small smile, but the muscles around her neck were taut and her shoulders were tense. She wrung her hands together repeatedly and her jaw twitched. She was squirming, "Jess, you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," Jessica answered, blinking rapidly, "Actually, I don't know," she sighed.

"What's up?" Tara asked quietly.

"I guess it's 'cause he's different now? Bill?" She began, "I just feel...sick. It's mostly felt like something was rotting inside me...dark, but now I dunno. It changed a little bit ago. It hurts more now. Kinda like it hurt back in the truck, but nowhere near as intense."

"Sookie," Eric said quietly from the driver's seat.

"Sorry?" Jessica responded.

"He doesn't sense her in this realm anymore," he answered her, "I could feel the change myself when she left. The timing seems appropriate. I could be wrong, but I wondered if he would react to it."

"Right," Jessica nodded, not at all sure how to deal with everything going on inside of her, but trying to take some solace in the fact that she was with people she mostly considered friends. There was only the hum of the tires on the road for a minute before Tara spoke up again.

"So, yeah. What the hell's the plan, boss? 'Cause if I'm not mistaken we're heading towards Bon Temps," Tara asked Eric between puffs, having caught a glimpse of a road sign, "and it seems to me that's one place we might wanna steer clear of."

"I've actually arranged to have your cousin meet us there to drive us the rest of the way," he answered her.

"Lafayette?" she whispered and her back straightened. She was surprised, but not at all excited at the mention of her cousin, unsure however if it was because she was still angry with him, or because she worried about Eric's involving him in their mess, "He agreed to that? Wait, drive us the rest of the way to where?"

"I didn't really give him much of a choice in the matter," Eric answered, looking back at her through the rear view mirror, his eyes sparkling wickedly, "and to a friend of mine who might be able to keep us safe, hopefully for long enough."

"What friend?" Pam asked then, mentally sorting through the associates of Eric's that she knew of, trying to determine which if any of them he would go to at a time like this. No one came to mind.

"You don't know them," he answered her.

"Do I?" Nora asked then.

"No." he said.

"Long enough for what? And...I mean, shouldn't we be getting on a plane or something?" Jessica spoke up.

"Everyone will know everything they _need_ to know when the time is right!" Eric roared, his hand slamming against the steering wheel. Jessica jumped at his raised voice. Nora did as well.

"_Oh well fuck me!_" Tara cracked and chuckled sarcastically. She felt helpless and not a damn thing Eric had said so far served to remedy that fact. She was getting really angry, "I feel so goddamn great about everything now..._bitch_," she continued under her breath, narrowing her eyes at him and putting her cigarette out on the bottom of her boot. Her fingers shot up to her temples, rubbing them firmly for a moment before she lowered her head and buried it in her hands.

"Tara," Pam said quietly, looking over to where her progeny sat. Her eyes were threatening and her temper short. Tara looked up at her and sighed before nodding quickly. Pam's emotional defenses were back up and well fortified, but Tara knew her maker well enough to knew that it was time to shut the fuck up.

"We're nearly there," Eric announced, pulling the van around a corner. Lafayette's house came into view and Tara's jaw tightened. Her cousin was standing out front, ready to greet them. He wore a black mesh shirt with the sleeves cut off and olive green cargo pants. Bright purple combats boots and a shimmering gold shawl completed his attire. His eyeliner was in place and perfect. A smile colored Tara's eyes at the sight of him, though it didn't manage to make its way to her mouth. She was stubborn.

A very tired looking Lafayette yawned into his hands and trembled a little, tightening his shawl around his body as the the van crawled to a stop in front of him. The doors of the van opened and the five vampires stepped out. The morning air was misty and cool, and the sky was several shades of dark violet. The sun would be up within the hour.

"Hookers, this shit had better be fucking serious, 'cause I am in _mourning_," he drew the last word out for a second before continuing, "sleepy as fuck, maybe a lil' drunk still, and trying real hard to make sense of some shit I seen last night," he sang at them, surprisingly cheery given the early morning hour.

"Good morning, Lafayette," Eric purred.

"Mmmhmm. You lucky your bloodsucking ass is fine and that I'm scared'a you, 'cause otherwise I'd take that 'good morning' and shove it up y..." Lafayette began, but Eric's fangs clicked into place mid-sass, causing the young man to jump back a step, "_Ooh_...yup, and I'll just leave it at that. Where we goin', bitch?"

That smile really wanted to travel down the rest of Tara's face, but she held it in place.

"I've left directions for you in the glove compartment, and cash. Caffeinate and eat in the van _and on the road_. Fill up the tank when you need to, but keep stops to a minimum. Speed. Don't get arrested. Don't get hatecrimed. You can keep whatever money is left after the trip. Your contact's information is in there as well, and what information you'll need for your flight back. Get us to them safely and go. If you're smart you'll pack up what matters to you when you return and find yourself a new place to call home."

"_Uh huuuh_..." Lafayette eyed the vampire, one brow arched, before grabbing his back pack and slinging it over his shoulder, "Keys?"

Eric tossed the keys at him and Lafayette caught them with ease as he walked towards the driver's side of the van. Eric turned to look at the rest of them and he sighed, weary.

"I know you all have questions and I can't answer them right now. We need to rest. We can talk more at sundown. Everyone just...rest," he ordered them.

The women who made up his family and the young Jessica, stared back at him, most looking like they wanted to kill something; anything. Jessica just looked lost. He made a mental note to be sure to find the girl a nice meal when they were safe. A handsome meal. She had proven the most tolerable of his party thus far. Eric usually liked his female company saucy, as Godric had, but it had its drawbacks.

He spared a glance at Tara before moving to the back of the van, shaking his head to himself for a split second. What the hell had Pam been thinking? The girl was a handful and a half with a mouth full of spitfire, aching for fresh air. _Then again_, he thought to himself as a smile flickered in his eyes at the thought of his own progeny.

The rest of the vampires followed him and watched as he opened the van doors. He proceeded to pull coffins out and to set them upright against the doors or down onto the ground. Tara and Jessica cracked open bottles of Tru Blood and drank in silence. The coffins had been stacked and would have to be stacked again in order for all of them to fit.

"Jessica," he called to the teenager as the coffin that had been lying on the floorboard creeped open with a hiss. She climbed in without a word. When she was settled and shut in he hoisted another coffin on top of hers, and opened it, "Pam, you'll have to share."

Pam arched a sculpted brow at him, but she didn't argue. She just climbed in, exhausted. Tara's eyes had grown a little wide and she looked like a child to Eric when he turned to help her up. She collected herself immediately.

"Can you give me...?" she began as she moved towards the front of the van, "Just...one second."

Tara backed away from Eric and ran up to the driver's side window. She looked at her cousin intently.

"Lala, I need you to do me a favor," she whispered quickly. Lafayette had hooked up his iPod to the auxiliary connection in the van by now and his head had been swaying slowly to the sweet sounds of En Vogue's _Don't Let Go_. His cousin's voice, actually speaking to him and not growling or screaming, caused him to pause. He looked back at her, his face filled with apprehension and what he feared was a too much hope.

"Yeah, bitch?" was all he said, eyeing her skeptically.

"Cigarettes when you stop. No menthols. Just...just, leave 'em with our shit," she quietly blurted out, before running back to the rear of the vehicle. A small smile formed on Lafayette's lips.

"Y'all about ready?! 'Cause I got SO many places to go on a vampire dime," he called back to them. Apparently he'd already checked the glove box. Tara proceeded to climb into the travel coffin, ignoring Eric's hand when held it out to her. Pam had already made herself as comfortable as she figured she could get.

Eric closed the lid down on them.

"Hey," Tara said, slightly charged and optimistic from having just fixed shit with her cousin. Fixed shit their way.

"Hey yourself," Pam responded. Her body jerked a little at the sound and motion of another coffin being stacked on top of theirs. She could hear Nora say something to Eric before he closed the lid down on her, but Pam really didn't want to know what it was. The fact that Eric had a sister that Pam had known nothing about; a sister he'd had for centuries before he'd ever met Pam in that alley; it was bothering her immensely. She had more pressing matters to contend with currently, however, like the fact that all of Tara's body was an inch away from pressing up against her own. Everything else became a distant memory and of no consequence.

She shifted a little, trying in vain to reposition her arm beneath her head, and she felt Tara shift in turn.

"Should I move?" Tara asked, but as soon as she tried the reality of her present situation slammed into her and she choked a little, "Well, I guess I can't really," she muttered with a weak little laugh.

"It's the thought that counts. Or so I hear," Pam drawled icily. Tara gulped.

"One would hope," she whispered back at Pam, finally able to wrench her arm into a more comfortable spot under her neck and head.

Pam was thankful for the blackness that surrounded them because her facade fell away and her eyes softened as soon as those words left Tara's mouth. Everything they had been through in the last several hours came rushing back to her and she had to stop her hands from reaching out. They heard the van doors close with a slam and the fourth coffin lid seal. Then a rumble and a shake.

They were on their way.

"The sun will be up soon. You should sleep," Pam told her progeny, her voice emotionless, betraying none of what she was actually feeling as their vessel rocked a little and Lafayette's muffled voice sang.

"Hmm..." Tara hummed, sounding a bit amused.

"What?" Pam asked her sharply.

"It's funny, I'm here in this box with you and...I dunno, I guess I expected to get to hear a lotta you breathin'," Tara whispered dreamily exhaustion starting to take it's toll, "Was lookin' forward to it."

She'd planned on fighting this sleep, wanting to relish in her proximity to her maker, despite her initial dread at the thought of it and her persistent insecurities about, well...everything. She knew she wouldn't be able to fight for long past sunrise though, especially after the night they'd had.

"Forgot," Tara finished sheepishly.

Pam grinned and breathed out a chuckle. She couldn't help herself.

Before she knew it Tara had closed the gap between their bodies, pulling the her maker into her arms and sidling up towards the the blonde gently, but assertively.

"You smell pretty great though, so I guess it's not a total loss," Tara murmured into Pam's ear, her voice sending a chill down Pam's spine and causing goose flesh to rise on her skin. Pam couldn't remember the last time her body had experienced such a response to another person. Maybe Eric, and maybe early on? If so the memory wouldn't come to her. Definitely not since.

Pam felt like she might give in as Tara breathed in her scent deeply, but she tried to control herself.

"Tara," she spoke calmly and quietly, careful not to let her voice crack under the pressure building in her chest and in other parts of her body, specifically the region Tara's thigh now lingered dangerously close to.

"Mmm?" Tara answered her with a sleepy hum. The vibration shot across the fraction of an inch that now separated their lips, causing Pams eyelids to flutter, despite herself.

Pam gave in.

She touched her lips to Tara's, placing a small kiss on them. The kiss was much more timid than Tara expected from her maker, but it sent a paralyzing shock through both of them anyway. Tara smiled, wide. Pam could feel it on her face and in the hand that reached up to touch Tara's cheek. Her fingers combed though Tara's hair a second later, grabbing a fistful of it and pulling it towards her, forcing Tara's lips to meet hers again.

Tara growled into Pam's mouth as it opened to invite her tongue in. Pam moaned, her body shivering with desire. The younger vampire's fangs clicked down in response to the sound, which caused her to break the kiss and shoot a hand up to cover her them.

"I..." Tara started, embarrassed.

"Mmm, don't. They look good on you," Pam whispered into her neck before letting her own fangs pop down and dragging the tip of one along Tara's skin, causing the young woman to lose herself for a moment in ecstasy. She panted a little as she felt Pam's tongue follow the path the fang had just drawn. Pam slipped a cool hand under the fabric of Tara's shirt, finding flesh and gripping it. They kissed again, ferociously. Neither noticed that small drops of blood had begun forming in their ears.

A second later a loud bang rang down into their coffin, and then another, tearing their lips apart and causing Tara's body to tense in response.

"The fuck?!" Tara frowned at the darkness above them.

"NO! DON'T!" Nora's muffled voiced yelled down at them from the coffin above, irritated and desperate, "For the love of...just...don't."

It took a moment for her words to register with them, but once they did both women scowled. As alone as they felt, they weren't alone. Pam settled herself.

"You really should sleep," she drawled, her voice quiet and husky, not really wanting to say the words, but knowing that soon Tara would be struggling more than she already was. Pam could smell the blood now. Tara scowled towards the ceiling again. She smelled it too.

"Fucking fine," Tara began, resigning herself. Her exhaustion took over immediately, "Wherever we're goin' though, you and I are gonna need to find ourselves a little space and a whole lotta time," she finished, her last few words slurred as she nuzzled into her maker and fell asleep within seconds. Pam sighed, pulling Tara's body closer.

"Thank you!" Nora's voice chimed down at them.

"Oh fucking _die_," Pam snarled in response.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: If you look at Chapter 1, 2 and 3, you'll see that I say a whole hell of a lot that I don't own your stuff. Getting kinda sick of repeating it...but I guess I will...just in case. I own nothing of True Blood, and I make no dollars off of this. Not even cents.

Author's Note: Here is Chapter 4, y'all. About passing out at this computer, but couldn't stop writing until I posted it. I cracked up quite a bit writing this part, so hopefully it entertains you guys too. A little more talk and development coming in the next chapter, and then I think things will be spicing up in more ways than one. I'll fix any errors I find tomorrow, haha. Too sleepy now. Stay tuned. Review. Enjoy.

Ch. 4

Pam came to a few minutes after sundown feeling replenished. Replenished and very squished. It took her a second to remember her situation. When she did it took her another second to fully grasp that Tara was currently dead asleep, wrapped in her arms, her head snuggled into Pam's neck, and her thigh tucked snuggly between the older vampire's. Pam knew that Tara would keep sleeping if she let her, and she was thankful for that fact. The sooner Tara was awake, the sooner they would be freed from the coffin and Pam quite liked having Tara so close. She also hesitated because while a part of her expected that the awake and alone time she figured she would eventually get with Tara could prove...gratifying...she dreaded actually having to engage in conversation about everything. The kiss at the Authority, the embrace at Fangtasia, the make out session complete with heavy petting that Pam had succumbed to just before dawn, the memory of which was presently causing parts of her to throb intensely.

Pam sighed. She hated _feelings_. She did like fucking, however, and she was being reminded of that fact a lot lately. She silently wondered if there was any chance in hell that Tara would be willing to just have sex; casually. She wondered if there was even the slightest chance in hell that she might be able to convince Tara that ignoring the feelings she had developed for her maker was actually a really good idea, as it would spare Pam having to face so much that she didn't feel at all comfortable facing.

Pam knew what Tara felt for her. She knew the devotion, the warmth and appreciation. The awe. The desire. So much of it. So much else. All for her. She knew when it started and Pam had let herself indulge in every aspect of its development, sadistically, figuring that it would allow her better control over her progeny.

Control was something she felt very comfortable with.

She did not, however, expect to be moved and she most certainly did not expect to actually start seeing Tara for what she was. Fucking. Impressive. Strong, intelligent, resourceful, passionate, and intoxicatingly beautiful. She had been a fine human specimen and she was becoming one hell of a fierce vampire.

As much as Pam _wanted_ to _want_ to convince Tara that casual fucking was the way to go, she didn't. She didn't want Tara to deny any of it. Pam felt it too, along with a whole slew of other maternal type shit that came more naturally to her, having lived as a madame for as long as she had, and having cared for her whores deeply. Pam kept her end of their bond mostly concealed to Tara, knowing that if Tara knew the extent of what Pam felt; the extent of what had developed thus far in their short time together, Pam would be forced to address it all.

Pam was nowhere near ready for that. Tara knew of a tiny fraction of it now. Pam had let it slip back at the Authority. She had kissed her progeny back when Tara's lips met hers in that cell. She couldn't help herself. It had been all she wanted. It had been the fantasy she allowed herself while imprisoned and subjected to so many hours of Jessica's unending babble. It had been one of two things she regretted not getting to do before she met the true death she had been slated for; the second being a final jab at Eric about the Amish girl they deflowered together back in 1922.

She sighed again. Her hand rose to Tara's face and she let herself touch, running the pad of her thumb along Tara's eyebrow lightly. She was overwhelmed.

Eric's voice broke her out of her revere. He had probably heard her sigh.

"Pam?" he stood over the coffin and called down to it gently. He had been awake for an hour now, alone and in thought. Jessica still slept. Nora did as well. He smiled to himself at the thought of his sister. She always slept late. She was nearly six hundred years old now, but he knew if he let her she would sleep longer than the two baby vampires in their company. It dumbfounded Godric in the years that the three of them spent together, but Eric always found that aspect of her character incredibly amusing. She had been the only child as a human, adored and rather indulged.

Pam's face hardened at the sound of his voice. It was time to get up. Her hand settled on Tara's cheek for a second.

"Tara," she said. Tara's eyes shot open instantly. She was tense right away, not remembering where she was. She jerked at little at feeling of another body next to hers. She had been dreaming of Franklin. Sensing her progeny's anxiety Pam spoke again softly, "Tara."

She just said her name, but it was all that was needed for the younger woman to relax.

"Oh," Tara whispered, "Yeah. Right," she muttered then and panicked a little, not knowing what to do with herself. She tried to move her head away from Pam's neck quickly and in doing so she slammed it into Pam's jaw, causing her maker's teeth to crack together painfully.

"Fuck!" Pam spat, "Tara?!"

"Oh! Shit! I'm sorry," Tara quickly apologized and tried to reach her hand up to touch her maker's face in an attempt at a physical apology, but a sharp pain shot up her shoulder and to her neck, stopping that hand in it's tracks, "_Ooh_, fuck...that hurts. That hurts a lot," she huffed.

Pam reached up to push the button that would release them, but after a few moments spent eagerly awaiting their liberation, nothing happened. She pushed it again and again nothing happened. She growled.

"Eric! Eric, get me the fuck out of this thing!" she yelled at him.

"Pam," he called back to her calmly, "Push the button."

If Pam could breathe fire she would have right then. She tried to calm herself; tried to remember that she loved Eric dearly.

"Eric," she started, her voice full of venom, "I pushed the button. I pushed the button twice. If I had not pushed the button I would not be asking you to get me the fuck out of this thing, but I did...push...the button, and now I am ASKING YOU; _get me...the fuck...out of this thing_."

"Oh," he replied, "Right. Okay, I haven't had to open one of these things from the outside in awhile, hold on," he continued. "They've upgraded. Hang on."

"Mmm...what's going on?" Nora had woken up at the sound of Pam's voice. She yawned and scratched at her head as she sauntered towards Eric, still coming to.

"Motherfuck my life," Tara sighed then, hearing Nora's voice.

As soon as the words left her mouth the top of their sleeping quarters slid open. Both women shot out of the coffin like snakes. They looked incredibly annoyed. Tara rubbed her neck, trying to work out the kinks that had formed in her muscles while they slept. Pam rubbed her jaw and glared at Tara, who avoided her maker's eyes choosing instead to examine their surroundings.

"What the...? Are we in a _cave_?" Tara spat at Eric, eyes wide, disbelieving, "This was your master plan, _grandpappy_? To bring us to a motherfucking cave?"

"_Tara_," Pam hissed at her.

"_What_?" Tara hissed back, but when her eyes actually met Pam's, she checked herself.

"Check yourself," Pam commanded. Tara glared at her for another second before rolling her eyes and resuming her inspection of their location.

"Guys?" Jessica called from her coffin, awake now, "Hey guys, can anyone help me out here?"

"Push the button," Pam called back to her, a wicked twinkle in her eye.

"Yeah, I can never find it in these things," Jessica called back, sweetly. Nora rolled her eyes and stomped over to where Jessica's coffin had been set, freeing her. Jessica smiled brightly at her, apparently feeling better upon waking than she had that morning, "Thanks. Really. I fucking hate these things."

"Eric?" Nora said, ignoring the baby vampire as they both made their way back to where everyone else stood.

"We are safe here. There is a barrier surrounding the area that will hide any trace of us. It extends for some miles in either direction. I'm not exactly sure how many, but enough. My friend will be here to meet us at ten. Until then help yourselves to a Tru Blood or two and try to relax," he answered her, and the questions he was sure would come from the rest of them.

Pam's eyes narrowed at him. He caught the action.

"Yes, Pam?" he asked her. He knew what was coming.

"What _sort_ of barrier?" she asked slowly. He cleared his throat a little before answering her.

"Magical," he answered and her glare at him intensified, "Witches," he finished.

She looked like she might kill him, right then and there. She felt like she might too, her recent experience with witches still fresh in her mind, the memory of it making her stomach churn. She was at a loss for words; completely at a loss for words. She tried to remember that she loved the man who stood before her, her maker. She really tried. She loved him dearly, but try as she might right then she couldn't remember that fact. All she wanted to do was to throw something at him.

Something big.

So she did, grabbing the coffin that she had emerged from just a few short minutes before in a flash and hurling it at his head. He dodged it easily, his expression bored, if a little remorseful.

Nora's fangs descended with a snap and before Pam knew what happened her throat was being squeezed and her feet were off the ground. Before Nora knew what happened, Eric was grabbing her by her hair and wrenching her to her knees with one hand, while effortlessly holding Tara away at arms length, his hand gripping and twisting the young woman's ear. Nora released her hold on Pam immediately and Pam stumbled back a few steps before finding her footing. Her own fangs were down and she balled her fists.

Jessica gawked at them. It had all happened in two seconds time. Eric released his hold on Tara and she was at Pam's side in a flash, positioning her body a few inches in front of her maker's, glaring and growling back at Nora.

Eric's icy blue eyes met Nora's then.

"You will _never again_ touch my progeny in anger, little sister," he told her, firmly, "Reassure me now."

"I will never again touch your progeny in anger," Nora replied, without hesitation. He let go of her then.

"WE ARE FAMILY!" he boomed, his voice echoing through the cavern for several moments after he spoke. "We are Godric's blood. We will start acting like it, or I will leave you all to fend for yourselves, so help me," he lied.

Pam's relaxed then. Nora did as well. Tara's body was still tense, every part of her enraged, but she retracted her fangs. After a few moments of silence, Eric turned to Jessica who stood gaping at all of them, unsure of what to do or say, so remaining still and silent.

"Miss Hamby," he spoke to her then, his eyes softening ever so slightly and his voice cool, "Would you care to join me in..." he scanned the cave for a second before tilting his head towards the furthest corner he could see before continuing, "_that_ corner, for a Tru Blood and some idle chit chat while we wait?"

"Yes sir," she answered him without a thought or pause. He spared another hostile glance at each of the other women before walking away. Jessica scrambled after him, stopping to reach for two bottles of blood before meeting him in his corner and sitting next to him, offering him one. He had not actually planned on talking to her. She had figured as much. They sipped their meal in silence.

Nora wordlessly sulked off to another corner after a few seconds. Tara watched her intently until the older vampire finally sat and settled herself. She turned to her maker then.

"You good?" she asked, her voice and her eyes still angry, but in them a faint hint of concern had also formed. Pam's eyes met hers and she nodded quickly.

"Yup," she answered flatly. They stood there silently for a moment, just looking at each other. It was dark where they were, but not black as it had been in their coffin. They were able to see each other for the first time in what felt like forever to both of them. They were both tense, but that tension faded into awkwardness rather quickly. Tara opened her mouth to say something, but no words would come out. Pam arched a brow at her in response, which cause Tara to try to say something else, but those words wouldn't come either. She looked away then, and around her.

"A motherfucking cave," she sighed, "Seriously."

"Apparently," Pam drawled in response to her.

"Well," Tara stammered then, avoiding looking at Pam with all her might, as she didn't seem able to say much when she did, "I might look around a bit. Never been in a cave before. There's nooks and shit and it sounds like I gotta couple hours to kill."

"You wanna join me?" she added under her breath after a few seconds of silence, still not meeting Pam's eyes. Pam jerked a little at the question, caught off guard.

"I guess I don't have much else to do," she said without thinking. Had she been thinking she probably would have thought that exploring a dark cave with Tara was maybe not the brightest idea, having the qualms she had about whatever the hell it was that was happening between them. She hadn't thought before letting the words leave her mouth, however, and she kicked herself inwardly.

"Oh," Tara breathed, meeting Pam's eyes and gulping. She had not actually expected the older woman to accept her invitation, "Okay."

Pam was the first to move after several moments and Tara following suit. They disappeared into the darkness of the cavern shortly. Eric watched them leave, as he had watched the entire interaction, incredibly entertained, but betraying none of it in his expression. Jessica had also watched, a small grin forming on her mouth, and her eyes sparkling. She felt so much better than she had the night before, any trace of the rotten feeling that replaced her bond with Bill gone. Any trace of Bill gone altogether. She turned to Eric, after pausing to consider that fact.

"The barrier you mentioned...? Is that why I can't feel him anymore?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered her, "I imagine he will be able to approximate our location, given that he could sense you until we were actually brought into it's boundaries. Still, I've been told that the field is impenetrable. I don't know that the same rules apply anymore, however. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Right," the teenager nodded, "Well. Thank you. Honestly. I..."

"Don't thank me yet, Jessica. This is far from over," he cut her off.

"Well, I _know_ that...but thank you for what you've done so far," she countered him, smiling softly. She was met with silence, but she imagined she would be. It didn't bother her. She knew Eric well enough to expect certain responses from him. He said nothing for a few minutes, but then he turned to look at her.

"Tell me about your family, Jessica," he said, cordially, "Your human family."

That was the last thing in the world Jessica ever thought Eric would ask of her, and she found herself a little shocked, but after blinking a few times she did as he asked. They sat there and she talked to him quietly, telling him about the family that was lost to her and had been for over a year now. Telling him fond memories of her little sister who, she had come to realize not long after having been made vampire, she had taken very much for granted. She missed her sister. She missed her every day.

Nora sat hugging her knees to her chest across the way, her eyes closed and her mind far away. Eric's words echoed in her head; _We are family_. _We are Godric's blood_. The image of Lillith ripping her sire's throat from his metaphysical body played in her head over and over again. She hurt.

Hundreds of feet away Pam and Tara walked in silence, struggling a little to see the walls around them, but mostly managing. The moon and star light that shone outside of the cavern reflected on rock after rock. That reflection eventually reached them, and hints of it allowed their magnified sight to make sense of shadow and texture. Tara's hands dragged along the walls and her eyes were wide, taking in everything that surrounded her. She could hear water flowing in the distance and she followed the sound, her curiosity getting the better of her. Pam mostly just watched her when she could do so without having to account for it, sure to keep her expression, her words, and her movements in check.

They walked slowly for nearly thirty minutes before Tara found what she sought. A sizable opening in the rock wall, and beyond it the sound of groundwater cascading into a pool. The light reflected on the ripples in the water as it had on the rocks. It shimmered, very lightly. Tara's eyes were big as she looked over it and a wide smile formed on her face.

"Well, will you look at that," she breathed, a small laugh escaping her lips. She turned back to look at Pam, who was ducking her head a little as she made her way into the enclosure. Tara was beaming and the sight of her made Pam freeze. Tara laughed more freely then, "I'm goin' swimming. I feel fucking gross."

She pulled her jacket off and then her boots. In a second the rest of her clothes with the exception of her bra and underwear came off and were thrown into a bloody pile at the edge of the pool shore. Pam had already seen Tara in various states of scantily clad, but she made it a point to take every opportunity granted her to look over her progeny's toned body without apology. A small grin formed at the corners of her mouth, as it did every time. Pam was nothing if not absolutely appreciative of a strong and sculpted female form.

"You comin'?" Tara inquired casually, dipping a toe into the cool water, and glancing back at her maker coyly. If only Tara has any clue how close Pam actually was to _coming_, she might have chosen a different word, for the sake of Pam's sanity. Pam was allowing Tara zero access to her emotions, however, so the younger woman could only guess, " 'Cause I remember saying something to you about a date, and...well, it kinda looks like we might be on it."

"Well," Pam said before pausing for a second to scan the length of Tara's near naked body, "When you put it that way," she purred then.

She wanted Tara, she wanted to bathe off the Authority scum residue that still lingered on her from the night before, and she figured if they kept themselves busy enough in the glittering pool of water, which she fully expected they'd be able to do, there would be little time for talking. She bent down slightly to unlace a high heeled boot. Tara's smile widened.

"Guys?" Jessica's voice called out to them from several hundred feet away, "Tara? Pam? Guys, Eric sent me to get y'all. His friend's here."

"_You have GOT to be fucking kidding me_!" Pam growled. Tara's face fell. She just stood there for a moment, looking heartbroken.

"Let me kill her," she said to her maker calmy after moment.

"Go for it," Pam replied, pressing fingers to her brow and massaging the muscles there firmly. Tara had already started dressing.

"Guys?" Jessica called again, "Sorry y'all. The guy showed up early."

"Let me kill that motherfucker too," Tara snarled. Pam said nothing, but her eyes flashed at Tara mischievously, causing an electric response in her progeny.

Tara walked up to her right then and there, still shirtless. Pam hadn't realized that she had been backing up as Tara approached her until she found herself pressed up against a wall. Tara's lips met hers instantly. They kissed. Every bit of need they felt poured into each other's mouths. It was aggressive, explosive, and altogether...not enough. Tara's hand grabbed Pam's thigh and pulled it up around her hips. She thrust forward and a deep groan formed in Pam's throat at the feel of Tara's pelvis pressing against her sex. Their kiss deepened and Tara hoisted Pam's other leg up around her hips.

"You guys, c'mon!" Jessica whined, breaking their focus.

Tara buried her head in Pam's neck, breathing in the smell of her hair. Her fangs clicked down.

"Death," she groaned.

Pam fought to regain her composure. She started lowering her left leg, raising her head. She placed a hand on Tara's cheek, directing the younger woman's eyes to meet her own. They drowned in each other's gaze, desire, arousal and excitement coursing through both of their bodies. Tara eased Pam's other leg down until her food touched the ground.

"We can't let the world end before we get our alone time, okay?" Tara whispered.

"Deal," Pam whispered back, smiling; actually smiling. Not grinning, or smirking. Tara kissed her again, moved by it. They were lost in each other's mouths for another beat before they had to wrench away, fearing they would lose control.

They pulled their bodies away from one another. Tara frowned as she made her way back to where her shirt and jacket still lay. When she finished dressing they left the area, making their way towards Jessica. She smiled when they reached her, not knowing what they had been up to, but having an active enough imagination.

The three of them walked back to the large opening in the cavern where Eric and Nora now stood talking to another vampire. Pam's eyes widened and she stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of his voice. Tara turned to her.

"Pam?" she asked, concern and confusion coloring her features immediately.

Eric, Nora, and the other party all turned to them at the sound of Tara's voice.

Eric avoided Pam's eyes.

Colin smiled, wickedly.

"Well, well," was all he said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I nothing from True Blood. I make no dollars off this. Don't sue meeee!

**Author's Note**: Hey lovelies! Here is Chapter 5, and I'm already working on Chapter 6, so I should have it up soon. Thank you ALL so much for the love and for waiting patiently, haha. You'll see that I am introducing some new faces in this one, and they will play a part in the future of this story, though I'm still not exactly sure in what sense, so please do let me know what y'all think of them. Love/Hate/Kill? Don't hesitate. This chapter was a bit of a struggle for me to get through, and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it yet. The next one is coming like a cool breeze in Texas though ;).

**Ch. 5**

Tara was assaulted instantly by a wave of various emotions, none her own. Shame, shock and extreme confusion. She cocked her head at her maker, realizing that Pam had let control of her end of their bond slip at the sound and sight of this person, and knowing that it would take a hell of a jolt for that to have been possible. Pam ignored her, staring past her at the vampire in front of them as if she were seeing a ghost. Tara's shoulders tensed and her jaw tightened. She said nothing to her maker, choosing instead to just step to her side and settle an arm around the older woman's waist, her hand finding Pam's hip and resting there.

Pam blinked twice at the touch.

Colin watched them intently as he approached them, his eyes still twinkling with a menacing delight.

"Mommy dearest," he purred at Pam. He figured those words would do the trick, and he was right. Pam narrowed her eyes at him, "And with my maker's hateful stare come all the memories!" he sang. He continued after a pause, his voice softening slightly, "It's been so long."

"Colin," Pam choked out.

"Pamela," he nodded at her graciously, "I hear you've made me a sister. Had I only a cigar."

"Whoa...what?" Jessica whispered then, her eyes shooting over to look at Tara, who's mouth gaped open a little at their exchange and who's eyes widened, but who's hand never moved.

"Oh, forgive me," Colin glanced over at the young redhead then, "I forget my courtesies," he said, a hint of an English accent in his voice. He moved to her then, taking her hand in his and placing a small kiss on the top of it. She swooned a little, "I'm Colin."

"Hi," Jessica breathed, taken with him instantly, "I'm, uh, Jess...Jessica. Jess." she stuttered.

"Ah, the monster's child," he said, eyeing her up and down. Her smile faded.

"I'm Bill Compton's child," she told him firmly, her face flat, "That monster is not the man who turned me," she finished. Colin paused for a moment. He nodded, acknowledging her words.

"Delighted," Colin smiled up at her. He stepped back towards his maker, sparing a glance at Pam, before turning his attention to Tara. He beamed, taking in the sight of her, or what he could make out in the darkness of the cave.

"She's black," he chuckled, before pausing to consider her for a moment. He chuckled again, "How wonderful," he continued quietly and then he straightened his posture and reached a hand out to her.

Tara would have been offended by his comment if he looked like any of the rest of them, but he didn't. His eyes were a dark coppery hazel, and his skin was the color of a deep rich caramel. His head was shaved to the scalp on one side, and cropped closely on the other, but the hawk that hung down over his eyes in tight kinky ringlets was a well blended mixture of rust and brown. He was as tall as Eric and bigger, his shoulders broad and his musculature thick. He wore a satin shirt that was open and exposing his bare chest, and matching pants that hung loose on his body. Black sandals graced his feet. Everything about him seemed positively relaxed.

Colin examined Tara closely. He imagined her pigmentation was something similar to what his human sire's had been, though he never met the man so he could not be certain. The handful of times his mother had spoken of him was all he knew of his father. His mother once made a point of telling him that the only reason she had not sought an abortion when she found out that she was pregnant with him was the respect she held for his father. She said he was a good man; smart and gentle, kind to her and exceedingly generous, paying her twice what she charged both times he'd requested her sexual services. She had cared for him in her way, and she was happy to care for his child.

His human mother had been an orphan. She worked as a whore serving miners and fishermen in Cornwall from the age of fourteen until the day she found out she was with child, choosing then to leave that life behind her to work in the kitchens of a local farming family. She had been a beautiful woman; pale, blonde, and a little chubby. She had sky blue eyes, an infectious laugh, a wicked tongue, and she was fiercely devoted to her child. Colin always remembered her fondly, even over a century after her death on his twelfth birthday. The family his mother worked for took care of him for ten years until the night he met Pam, letting him work on their farm to earn his keep. They treated him very much as a servant, but they were mostly kind to him, if somewhat indifferent. As such he was sure to spare the lives of their three teenage daughter's the night he made a meal of their blood and a conquest of their virginities.

Colin still had his hand extended towards Tara. She considered it cautiously before slowly taking it and shaking it, rather than allowing him to kiss it as he had Jessica's. His smile widened at her and he looked over to their maker.

"She's lovely," he said simply. Eric and Nora both watched, remembering the day they'd met. Eric had said those exact words to Godric.

Colin removed his hand from Tara's after a quick shake and he clapped the two of his together. He was pleased to be in the company of vampires, not having been since Godric's last visit to him ten years prior. He turned back to Eric and Nora then and walked towards them briskly.

"We should be going!" he called to them happily, "You can leave the coffins here. You won't need them. I will help you with the rest of your things," he stated, stepping towards two cases of Tru blood and tucking them under an arm before grabbing a bag and swinging it over his shoulder.

Pam moved then, and Tara's hand fell from her hip. Both of them felt a pang at the loss of contact, but Pam ignored it, furiously stepping towards her maker. Her eyes were wild.

"_Fader_!" she spat in Eric's mother tongue, "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Pam," Eric sighed and answered her in Swedish, "I've wanted to tell you. I've wanted to tell you a hundred times, but it never seemed right."

"So I find out like this?!" she yelled at him, "You lied to me," she snarled more quietly.

"I did not. This vampire is not the boy you released. You do not know him," he snarled back at her, his own eyes nearly as enraged as hers. He sighed again, collecting himself before continuing, "I do hope you try to get to know him, however. Godric cared for him immensely. He spent years teaching him as if he were his own."

With that her eyes fell to the floor. Eric laid a hand on her shoulder and stood with her in silence.

Pam shrugged it off a few seconds later and stormed away from him. She needed a minute. Tara, who had been watching their exchange moved to follow her. Eric reached for her arm and stopped her.

"I wouldn't," was all he said. She shook his hand away.

"Yeah, well I would," she replied and continued walking towards the blonde. Eric watched her walk away for a moment before shaking his head a little and making his way to where the others were gathering the last of their things.

Tara walked towards Pam quietly, slowing her approach as she neared the other woman's body. Pam was turned away from her, facing rocks, running one hand through her thick hair, her other arm hugging herself across the abdomen.

"Pam?" Tara whispered. Pam said nothing. She was lost in thought and memory.

She hadn't expected to see Colin ever again. She had long considered him dead.

Her progeny.

The first.

She had not been ready to be a maker when she turned him, only a year out of the ground herself. She had not been prepared for what being a maker entailed; teaching, protection, emotional responsibility towards another vampire. She had been too young, but a year after Eric made her, when he felt she could care for herself well enough, he left her alone for a few years needing to see to matters that he said did not concern her.

She couldn't handle the loneliness.

When she first saw Colin she thought he was beautiful. He was strong and he was sweet. He was a novelty for her too, one of very few dark skinned people she had seen in and around England, having returned to her homeland with Eric shortly after her rebirth.

She turned him against his will the night they met at a tavern in Cornwall and three years later; three years of his not being what she desperately wanted him to be, namely Eric; she released him against his will. She still remembered the look on his face when she said the words and the cruel gratification that she allowed herself at the thought of being free of him. Free of his questions and his fuck ups. Free from having to consider him in all she did.

He had been fun for awhile. He was only twenty-two when she met him and sexually inexperienced, as most of the women in his home town spurned him because of the color of his skin. Pam taught him how to fuck women and how to feed. She never let Colin touch her; that privilege reserved for only Eric and only for a few decades before any sexual interest her body had in his faded away; but she played with him as if he were her toy. When she got word from Eric that he would be returning to her in a few months time, she decided she no longer had any need for Colin. She sent him on his way, with only the clothes on his back and a little money for his troubles.

Eric had been furious with her when he found out what she had done. Pam did not tell him until a year after his return, not out of shame or fear, but simply because she didn't find it relevant. She thought Colin was no longer of any consequence to her. She mentioned it one night as they strolled along the foggy streets of London and talked casually. She had not expected his rage, but she would have had she thought back on his words to her the night she was made; words that expressed in no uncertain terms how he felt about the responsibilities of a maker. She would have had she thought about him and the way that he cared for her.

He left her again almost immediately, too upset with her to be in her company. He was gone for six months and when he returned he forgave her, but he said nothing about where he had been or what he had done. She had an idea now. Her maker worshiped Godric and Colin was Godric's blood.

Eric saw to it that he was taken care of.

"Pam?" Tara's quiet voice brought her back. She sighed, her eyes closed, not really wanting to come back to the cave, to their reality.

"What?" she whispered harshly. Tara frowned a little at her tone. She paused for several seconds before finding the words she figured might help her right now. She stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Pam's waist then, feeling for her maker's pale hand which had been resting on her rib cage. Tara linked their fingers together.

"You and me," she murmured into Pam's ear, their bodies pressed together now.

Blood tears wanted to pool at the bottoms of Pam's eyes, but she held them back. Her body had tensed at the feel of Tara's and it was tense still, but Pam didn't move. She just let Tara hold her, every inch of her screaming for more of the younger woman.

"You and me," Tara whispered again, her lips touching Pam's ear. Pam started to relax into her. They stood like this for several seconds.

"Okay," Pam said. She pulled her body away from Tara's slowly then and turned to face her, meeting her eyes. She crossed her arms across her chest, "We should go."

Tara nodded at her, a small smile creeping into her eyes and threatening to take her over. She held it in place, knowing that Pam wouldn't appreciate the sight of it in that moment. Pam stalked over to where the rest of the group was waiting for them and Tara followed a few paces behind her, marveling at the power her maker had to draw all eyes to her. Pam plucked a Tru Blood from a case that still sat on the ground and made her way to the front of their small assembly. Tara reached down to grab the case, the only thing left to take. Everyone else had their hands full. No one said anything for several moments. They just stood there. Pam rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Are we goin' somewhere?" Pam spat at them, "Or are you all gonna just stand here and pick at your pimply asses?"

Tara couldn't help but smile then.

"Right," Colin answered her and pointed in the direction of an opening in the rocks, far to the left of the one that Tara and Pam had explored earlier, "Onward...hoes," he chuckled to himself before bellowing, "Onward, through the darkness!"

They walked through a small tunnel that took them to another vast cavernous expanse and they proceeded to hike for well over an hour, crouching where they had to and climbing up, down and around several inclines and drops before reaching their destination. Colin informed them as they walked that the cave and tunnel system they were currently hiking through extended for hundreds of miles, most of them uncharted. They were in Texas.

Colin spoke up again as they made their descent down a particularly unstable formation to approach another opening in another rock wall. A faint light shone out of it.

There were humans near. All of the vampires could smell them.

"They are all mine, but know that I am happy to share all but one of their blood, if they are willing," he said, firmly, before grinning, "and I have no doubt some of them will be. Their sex is another matter. Harm none of them."

Eric's eyes brightened with pride at his grand-progeny and Pam arched an eyebrow at him. Her sire had been right. She did not know this vampire. This was not the boy she had discarded over a century ago.

Nora smiled the first smile she had in days. She hadn't fed in far too long, unwilling to drink Tru Blood, and she was very thankful for Colin's willingness to share what was his in that moment. His presence among them in the last hour had proven a welcome relief for her, as she had been feeling increasingly alienated from everyone. She was glad to have another outsider diverting some of the group's attention, and in turn a whole lot of their spite, away from her.

She met his eyes for a second then and she couldn't help but wonder if the humans he spoke of shared him as he did them. Nora hadn't been so impressed with a vampire in some time, especially one so much younger than her. Colin winked at her, cockily. Her smile broadened.

They entered through the opening and the light grew brighter and warmer as they walked down a narrow tunnel. They reached the end and were met with a black rope net that hung like a curtain. Colin pulled it aside, ushering his guests into his home. They stepped through the opening into a massive cave one by one, having to hunch over a little as they did. All around them there were candles and oil lanterns aflame. There was a hint of a cool breeze blowing through the space and the air was crisp and clean. It smelled like roses. None of them had to breathe, but most of them did and deeply, as it was an incredibly pleasurable experience.

Rich dark fabric colors; black, grays, reds and purples; as well as a various inviting textures covered the floors and the walls. Tapestries hanging from stone, large pillows, throws and rugs decorated what appeared to be a living area just ahead of them, complete with large fluffy couches, chairs, and array of tables ranging in size from small to monstrously large, and from simple, to incredibly ornate. They all had scattered upon them any number of stones, runes and burning votives. At the far end and to the right of them sat three red stained wooden thrones. The throne placed in the middle of the three was significantly larger than the others. They were elevated above the rest of the space slightly by a break in the stone floor. Much of the area appeared to have been worked by human hands, creating steps and walkways that led towards dozens of what looked like entrances to other tunnels that varied in size, but so much of it had been untouched, giving it the organic mineral majesty that nature had intended for it.

It all looked exceedingly cozy. Tara looked around her in wonder, eyes huge. She felt like she was a million miles away from the terror of the outside world. She imagined that she could stay in this place forever and be completely content. Colin seemed like a pretty cheery guy to her thus far, so apparently it was treating him well. He spoke then, breaking her concentration.

"Welcome, friends," he said before glancing at Tara and meeting her eyes, "And family."

No one else had taken the time to evaluate the lair they had just entered. Pam was too focused on the amazement that had completely taken over Tara's face and the way that her eyes were glittering. She let herself watch the younger vampire for a moment before forcing her eyes away.

The rest looked only at the women.

There were 8 of them, and all but one of them smiled warmly at the group of vampires as they entered. There was one who didn't smile. She watched them cautiously, her arm extended to her rear and her hand resting on the back of a young girl, who's face peaked around her mother to stare at them, eyes huge. The girl looked to be about seven or eight years old.

There was also a man. He stood opposite them towards the back of the room and to the left, at the foot of a large sloping walkway. His arms were crossed at his chest, and his face was completely emotionless.

Each group partook in silent inspection of the other for several beats before Colin spoke again.

"I supposed introductions are in order. Everyone," he called to his humans, "This is Eric, my grand sire, and Nora, his sister. They were Godric's progeny."

The little girl smiled a small smile at the mention of Godric's name. Over the years Colin had told her many fond stories of the vampire.

"This is their friend Jess," he continued, making sure to use the shortened version of her name that she had awkwardly given him when they met. She smiled at them warmly.

"This...this is my very own sister," he gestured towards Tara, grinning at her, "Tara. She is very newly made vampire," at those words the human mother tightened her arm around her child, "but she holds onto so much of her humanity. I can see it in her eyes."

Tara stared at him blankly, not knowing what to make of his words.

"Ah yes, and this beast," he continued, his eyes sparkling at Pam as he addressed her and his smile widening, "this is Pamela. My maker."

Her eyes narrowed at him slightly.

"It's Pam. Just Pam." she drawled.

"Right," he acknowledged her words, directing his attention back towards the humans, "Well, Pamela and the rest of them will be staying with us for awhile, as we discussed earlier. I trust they will be respectful of our home and of all of you," Colin looked back to the vampires before continuing,

"The gentleman standing just over there is Brandon," he gestured towards the man who had not moved and who's face had not changed. He was a black man, his skin the color of the darkest chocolate. He was extremely tall and lean, but his muscles were hard, seemingly cut from the same stone that surrounded them. His features were sharp, his head bald, and his eyes were black as night, "He is my right hand, my dear friend, and the most vicious wolf I've ever known. Mind your words and actions around him. He will be watching you." Colin told them all, his expression serious.

"I thought I smelled dog," Pam huffed. Colin ignored her.

"Now, this beauty," Colin spoke again happily, directing a hand at the little girl who still stood behind her mother, gripping at her hips, "this is Sylvia. Come here, darling," he commanded her sweetly. Pam rolled her eyes.

Sylvia glanced up at her mother who hesitated to loosen her hold over the child, but who did so nonetheless. She walked up to Colin meekly and positioned herself at his side, hiding a little behind him as she had hidden behind her mother. She was a beautiful child. Her hair was strawberry blond and it fell to her waist. Her eyes were a golden honey brown, and her cheeks blushed a bright pink as she gazed up at the vampires.

"No one touches her," Colin warned, before looking towards the girl's mother and smiling, "The mother who's eyes have been fiercely watching all of you, she is Lisa. I will let the other women introduce themselves to you at their leisure. Let's get you all settled."

"Welcome. All of you" one of the women said as she rose to her feet from the pillow she had been lounging on. She was exquisite. They all were. They mostly varied in size and in age, though none of them looked much over the age of thirty-five. They were all dressed in lingerie and thin robes; silk, lace and satin. Most of them were caucasian and rather pale, not having been exposed to direct sunlight in some time, though one of them was black, and two others looked hispanic. They exuded power. All of them exuded power. The woman smiled at them.

"I'm Elaine," she said before gesturing to a woman who had stepped behind her, "This is my sister, Eleanor."

They were twins, both incredibly small, no taller than five foot three and weighing maybe one hundred pounds. They both had thick, wavy, dark brown hair that fell to their backs, and bright blue eyes. They wore matching black silk nighties that left nothing to the imagination.

"We are Brandon's wives," Elaine continued before looking over to another woman who remained lounging in her chair, her legs dangling over the side of it. She wore only a black satin robe that reached her knees, black and red lace panties and sheer black stockings, hooked to a black and red garter belt. Her breasts were fully exposed to them and she cared not a bit. She was hispanic, her skin a dark tan. Her black hair had been trimmed short, into a pixie cut, "That is Dolores, his third."

Dolores winked at them, a grin slowly spreading across her face.

"Hot," Nora grunted, unapologetically.

"Wow," Jess whispered under her breath.

"Right?" Tara whispered in response to her friend.

"Let us help you with your things," Elaine insisted, taking the case of Tru Blood that Tara had been carrying, sure to let her smile linger just and inch from Tara's face as she did. Tara felt herself blush a little and her eyes fell to the floor instantly. Eleanor and another woman strode up to them, freeing their arms of their cargo.

The woman who had followed the twins up to the vampires stood before Eric, smirking at him wickedly. She plucked supplies from his hands. She was plump, her skin was a slightly darker tan than Dolores' and her curves looked exceedingly inviting and warm. She stood at about five and a half feet. Her black hair fell around her face in thick ringlets, and her dark brown eyes scanned Eric's form appreciatively. A silver lace thong was all she wore underneath the silver satin robe that swam around her soft body.

"I'm Carmen. I can show you to your quarters if you'd like," she said, holding Eric's gaze to hers.

"Thank you, Carmen," Eric smiled down at her and proceeded to follow her across the room and up the walkway where Brandon stood sentry. Nora, Jessica and Tara watched them as they disappeared into a hole in the stone.

"Ugh. Hot," Nora grunted again.

"Wow," Jessica whispered again.

"_Right_?" Tara hissed then, before turning to her maker who had her arms crossed at her chest, her stance defiant. She was glaring at the black woman, who's yellow wolf eyes flashed back at the vampire from the floor. The woman chuckled to herself silently. Tara also glared at her for a moment, before she refocused her attention to Pam, "_Seriously_?" Tara whispered urgently, "He's just gonna go help himself to a snack? I thought the world was in peril or some shit."

"It is, sweet sister! The world is in _such_ peril," Colin answered her whispers, theatrically, lifting Sylvia up into his arms and holding her, "Which is why you must all _rest_, and _feed_. We are safe here. The world can crumble around this place, and we would be safe here. Take some comfort in that and gather your strength for you will be needing it."

The little girl had her arms wrapped around his neck and she stared at Tara, wide-eyed.

"Colin, you have a sister," she whispered to him, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, I didn't know, my love," he answered her, "She is my vampire sister. My vampire mother just made her."

"That one?" Sylvia pointed at Pam then, a little nervously.

"Yes. That one," Colin answered her.

"She seems so mean," Sylvia whispered more quietly then.

"Oh, she is, little Sylvia, and as such you should leave her alone while she is here visiting us. She is a very mean lady. She's pretty though, no?" Colin asked her then, smiling brightly at her as he moved towards her mother. He transfered the child into her mother's arms and Lisa greeted her daughter with a kiss to her temple, holding her tightly. The child looked like the spitting image of her mother, though her face was a little more round, and the brown of her eyes a few shades lighter.

"She is," Sylvia beamed over to where Pam stood, "She is very pretty."

"And you are the sweetest child," Colin told her.

Jessica watched the whole interaction with a sad smile on her lips. She missed her little sister terribly. She looked to where Pam and Tara stood. Her friend was still very confused and her maker looked incredibly annoyed. Jessica figured she should leave them be for the moment, but she didn't quite know what to do with herself.

"Um, Colin? Where should I go?" she asked. Dolores rose to her feet then and she approached the teenager, capturing her eyes. The woman was magical strength embodied and Jessica was more than a little intimidated by her, human or not. Dolores grabbed Jessica's chin and raised her face to look as her.

"You come with me," she said simply, before taking both of Jessica's hands in hers and backing up, directing Jessica to the floor where two other women sat welcoming them, one the black woman who had been toying with Pam's a minute ago. The woman was incredibly attractive, her skin the same dark color Brandon's, and her hair styled into a large and impressive afro, "That is Dinah. She is Brandon's sister, also a werewolf. She will have to decide if she likes you before she lets you feed on her. That is, if you even like wolf blood" Dolores told Jessica as she sat her down on the floor.

"I don't know if I do," Jessica told her, honestly.

"Well. I think I like you and Tess here likes everyone," she gestured towards a blonde who sat to their left. Jessica blushed a little.

"I like that one," Dinah giggled a little and directed her gaze from the other women towards Pam. Tara gawked back at her, instantly furious. Her fangs clicked down. Pam put her hand on her progeny's waist to calm her, before narrowing her eyes at the wolf bitch hatefully.

"I don't drink wolf," she growled, her jaw clenched.

"Pity," Dinah shrugged, a small fake pout forming on her full lips, "You're loss, I'm sure."

"I quite like wolf blood," Nora said quietly then. Dinah grinned at her mischievously as their eyes met. Nora looked to Colin then, asking his permission and he nodded happily.

"Please. Enjoy," he answered her silent request. Dinah had risen to her feet then, and she walked towards Nora before stopping in front of her. She was significantly taller than the vampire and as lean as her brother. Her eyes shone bright yellow and she looked at Nora as hungrily as Nora looked at her. She took her hand and led her up the same walkway that had claimed Eric earlier.

"I don't know how comfortable I feel with all of this," Tara whispered at her maker then. Pam nodded.

"You're smart," Pam told her, tightening her hold on Tara's hip, before looking over to Colin, "Where do we go, Colin?"

"Ah yes. Tunnels." Colin answered her, pointing to the walkway, "You can each have your own quarters. The eight above are for our guests. It seems Eric and his sister have claimed the first two, but take your pick of any of the others. We live on this level."

"Tara will stay with me," Pam told him, taking her first step toward where Brandon stood. His arms were now wrapped around the waists of his twin wives.

"Oh, we have plenty of room, I assure..." Colin started before Pam interrupted him.

"Tara will stay with me," she cut him off as she started up the walkway. Colin just shrugged a little at her words and turned to the woman who now stood next to him. She was the only one who had not introduced herself, or been introduced to the vampires.

"Check on them in an hour will you, darling?" he asked her, cupping her cheek with his hand, "They should feed."

"Of course," she said, leaning into his touch quickly before pulling herself away and plopping down into a cushy chair. She reached for an old tome and searched it for awhile, looking for the page she had marked earlier. Colin made his way to his throne, the large one in the center of the platform, and he made himself comfortable. A few moments later he looked to the woman again.

"Mercedes," he called and her eyes rose to meet his, "Maybe two hours."

She smiled slyly and nodded before returning to her reading.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of True Blood. I make no dollars off this story. Don't sue for I have nothing that is of any value to any of y'all, I'm sure. Well...maybe that one thing...but it's mine damn you!

**Author's Note: **Here is Chapter 6, y'all! Tried to get it up with the quickness. I hope everyone is gearing up for some SHIT, 'cause I'll be getting into the nitty gritty of this whole "world in peril" thang, and what our motley crew aims do about it in the next few. I can't guarantee that I'll have the next one up until the weekend, as this job is taking up great big chunks of my life now, but as soon as I can, pinky swear! Also, I'm way better at writing daring escapes from terrifying situations than I am at writing...ahem...other things (I think anyway) so bear with me here ;). Ooh, also I'm sleepy as fuck right now. Tried to edit best I could, but I'll fix any errors I find tomorrow. Nighty night :)!

**Ch. 6**

Pam made her way down the third tunnel they came across. She crouched a little as she walked, an inch too tall to stand upright in the space. Tara was close behind her. They walked in silence for about fifteen minutes before Tara mumbled under her breath.

"Are we _anywhere_ yet?" she asked, irritated.

"I imagine he keeps his vampire guests housed a good distance away from his living area. Too many vampires in close proximity for too long could prove," Pam paused before continuing her reply to her progeny, seeing fire light just a few yards ahead of her and around a bend, "problematic."

"Ah," Tara nodded, remembering what her maker had explained to her Jessica about vampire nest behavior and thinking better of her complaints, "Nests."

When they reached their destination Tara smiled. It was a small cave, lit by a two oil lamps hanging from the walls and one set on a small table positioned next to a thick futon mattress resting on the floor. A fluffy white down comforter and a few smaller blankets sat folded on top of it, and two plush pillows had been left next to the pile. It seemed as if their hosts had gone to a lot of effort to ensure that their guests were comfortable.

The space was tight and they were surrounded by four walls of stone, but carved into the fourth was a large opening and a drop. It led into another small cave. From that cave's far wall a few yards away water shot out and onto the floor, making its way down the small incline and into several minuscule holes at the opposite end of the enclosure.

"What the...? Is that a fuckin' _cave_ _shower_?!" Tara laughed.

"Apparently," Pam lazily answered her progeny, her eyes still inspecting the space around them closely.

"I love this place," Tara laughed again quietly, reaching around to the back of her head and freeing her hair from the ponytail it had been tied into for two days now. She scratched at her head and ran her fingers through her locks as she moved towards the mattress and set the duffel bag she had been carrying down on top of it. She rummaged through it for any of the three pack of cigarettes Lafayette had left for her.

"Yeah, well," Pam started, pissed off at the world. She ran a hand through her own blonde hair, easing out any bobby pins she happened upon, as she slowly moved to sit down on the mattress, "Don't get too comfortable."

"Right," Tara sighed as the smile faded from her face. She sat down next to her maker and pulled the duffel bag onto her lap. Her hand gripped one of the packs that had settled at the bottom and she pulled it to the surface and set it on the mattress. She proceeded to pull a change of clothes out of the bag a piece at a time.

"So yeah," she said quietly then, after a beat, making sure to avoid Pam's eyes as she spoke, "Colin?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Tara," Pam responded flatly, running both of her hands through her hair then and gripping it, tugging at her scalp. She rested her elbows on her knees then and her fingers at her temples. Her eyes were were focused on the floor beneath her feet. After a few moments of their just...sitting there, Tara watching Pam in her periphery, not knowing what to do, Tara sighed again and stood up with her clothes in her hands.

"Cool. Well, I'm gonna wash up before we head back," she said as she started to move towards the opening in the stone wall, staring lovingly at the clear spring water that had been calling her name for minutes now. Pam dismissed her with a small wave, her blue gray eyes still watching the floor.

Tara hopped down into the lower cave and undressed quickly, setting her soiled clothes in a neat pile next to her clean attire. She sneaked quick glances at Pam. The older vampire just held her head in her hands, lost in thought. Tara decided to let her be.

She walked towards the cascading water, jumping a little at the stinging cold when it finally splashed down on her. She smiled as the water ran over her body, washing away bloody remnants of her ordeal at the Authority bit by bit. She stepped forward and placed her arm against the stone wall in front of her, then she rested her head against it. Water fell onto her back and she relished in the sensation of it beating into her muscles. It was the first time she'd had to herself in two days.

As relaxed as she appeared, Tara's mind raced. She thought of Sookie and Jason Stackhouse and she hoped that they were safe among their fairies. She wondered if she should have said more to her former best friend, the girl she had grown up with and adopted as a sister, before they parted ways. She wondered if she would ever see Sookie again and her eyes stung a little at the thought of not getting to. She loved that girl, as much as she wanted to hate her.

She thought of Bill and the monster he'd become, not having seen him in all his fucked up biblical glory yet, but having felt his wrath. She wondered what the fuck was going on outside of the cavern. Was the world falling into ruin? Were her old friends dying? She figured she would soon find out and much as she dreaded the update, she welcomed it. Tara hated not knowing.

She thought of Pam then, the image of her maker smiling at her just a few hours before had seared into her memory. It moved her. She wanted to see more of that smile in real life and in real time, not just in the image playing on repeat in her head. She sighed then and tried to put her maker out of her mind. The maker who was sulking now, dealing with past demons she had not expected to face the only way Tara figured she knew how; by being hateful and by _not_ talking to her. The maker who had shut her out. Again. Her jaw tightened a little, but she quickly rolled her eyes, huffed and tried to relax. The world was in the shitter and here she was pining. It felt inappropriate.

"Fucking hormones," she hissed.

Tara shifted her thoughts to her cousin then. She wondered if he'd made it home safely and if he'd taken Eric's advice and run the fuck away from Bon Temps once he had. She hoped so, but she knew Lafayette was as devoted to that godforsaken place as she had once been. In her mind Bon Temps was cursed. It was home, but it was cursed and she wanted her cousin away from it. She remembered the look on his face just a few weeks ago, after his lover Jesus had beed killed by Lafayette's own hand. She remembered his heartbroken, desperate face. She remembered his tears, and she begged the universe then to do whatever it had to do to help him find a new home.

She really wished she knew what was going on in the outside world; what their plan was; what she could do, if anything.

She was jolted back into reality by the feel of a hand snaking up around her body and resting in the valley between her breasts. She jerked, but she quickly realized that the pale hand belonged to Pam and she let herself relax, just slightly. She lifted her head and stood up straight then, pulling her arm from the wall and letting it fall to her side.

The older vampire had let herself watch her progeny from the room above, only when she knew for certain that the younger woman wouldn't catch her. She had needed a minute to herself, but once that minute passed she felt overcome with need for Tara's presence, partly inspired by the warmth she could feel directed towards her through the bond that connected them. She hadn't felt anything quite like it in nearly a century and a half walking the earth. She wondered what Tara was thinking in that moment that would have fueled such a sensation and she wanted to be at her progeny's side instantly.

Tara also projected quite a bit of frustration toward's her maker, but compared to the warmth it was insignificant and unworthy of the Pam's consideration in that moment. Pam knew she could be a handful. A number of people had taken it upon themselves to inform her of as much over the years, but there was just so much affection present despite that fact that it only served to further fan the flames that were taking over all of her sensibilities.

Pam stripped her clothes off of her body slowly and silently and she crept down into the smaller cave. She stepped towards the falling water slowly, taking care to leave the younger vampire as much time to her rumination as she could without losing herself completely.

Every part of her ached for Tara.

She let her eyes roam Tara's body for awhile before she completed her approach, drinking in the sight of her. Pam had never seen the woman in all her naked splendor, without a bit of fabric shielding her progeny from her eyes. Tara looked hard and soft, large and very small, all at the same time. Her body was young and athletic. It was a fighter's body. Her skin was smooth and a sexy shade of dark. Her muscular back was incredible. Her muscluar ass was incredible.

Pam ached for her.

Tara was so deeply immersed in contemplation that she hadn't sensed Pam's approach. Pam was quick to grab onto her progeny when the icy water hit her body, needing to steady herself, but not because of the cold. She wasn't sure if she was doing was the right thing, or the smart thing, but her body had given her little choice in the matter. She wrapped her arms around Tara's tense form and she let her hand settle at her progeny's chest. She just held her for several moments before pulling Tara's hair to the side and placing a small kiss onto the back of her neck. Tara tensed again. A shock ran up her spine, resting at the spot Pam's lips had just touched and buzzing there. Pam's lips traveled to Tara's earlobe then and she grabbed it, holding it between her front teeth for moment.

"Hey," Pam said then, just loud enough to be heard over the falling water.

"Hey yourself," Tara breathed back at her, her body trembling slightly now. Pam smirked a little, but her brow was slightly furrowed and her eyes questioning.

"You and me?" she asked then, her voice shaky, but not because of the cold.

"You know it," Tara assured her firmly. The arm that had been resting on the wall a few moments earlier reached up then and her dark brown hand found Pam's pale white one. She linked their fingers together.

Pam sighed into Tara's ear, her brow relaxing and her smirk turning into a small smile.

"Well," she drawled. Tara's fangs clicked down audibly.

Tara shot around to face her at the word, and their lips met forcefully. Pam's mouth opened to welcome Tara's tongue into it and she moaned into the younger woman, the vibration of it settling at Tara's core. They kissed each other as if the fate of the world depended on their doing so and their hands and arms pulled their bodies close.

"You and me, in the wind, in rocks. In water and wherever the fuck else we find ourselves," Tara spoke a few words at a time each time their lips parted, and Pam smiled widely into each kiss hearing the words. Tara broke their kiss then, her hand combing through the other woman's wet blonde hair. Her coffee colored eyes bore into Pam's stormy blue one's and she held her gaze for a moment before completing her quiet declaration, "This I promise you."

Pam captured Tara's lips with her own and she whimpered into her progeny's mouth, her body pushing Tara's back into the stone wall behind her. She loosened control of her end of their bond then and a rush of emotion flooded Tara's insides; desire, desperation, and as much arousal as Tara was feeling. Tara was nearly as moved a she had been upon seeing Pam's smile earlier. She matched the intensity of Pam's kisses with her own and she let her hands travel down Pam's back until they reached her ass. Each of her hands gripped at the firm flesh there, causing Pam to gasp.

"The bed," Pam breathed, her eyes narrowing, "Now."

Tara lifted Pam into her arms, pulling her long legs up around her waist. She had them both on the mattress in their room in a flash. She laid her maker onto the bed and straddled her hips. She could feel the few blonde hairs from Pam's neatly trimmed mound tickling her clit.

"Wow," Tara sighed into her maker's chest after breathing in deeply. Pam smelled like vanilla and earthy wildflowers. It was a scent Tara had come to adore, and fear somewhat for the reaction it caused within her. She breathed in more of Pam, and looked up, meeting the older vampire's gaze.

"Just. _Wow_. You are so fucking..._naked_," she grinned, her eyes shining with delight. Tara had never seen such beauty. She had imagined a naked Pam as something to behold, often, but the real thing was putting all of her fantasies to shame. Pam's body was lithe, her muscles lean, and she was milky white all over, with hint of pink resting just under the surface. Her skin was as soft as a baby's and her complexion was even. Her breasts were absolute perfection; full and plump, soft and seemingly alive with their own spirit, their pink nipples gazing back at Tara every time she caught sight of them, begging her for attention.

They both laughed at Tara's words, and Pam reached behind Tara's head and pulled it down for another deep kiss.

"May I?" Tara asked huskily, pulling her mouth away from their kiss. She proceeded to nip her way down Pam's neck to her clavicle. She lifted her head to meet Pam's eyes again.

Every bit of the ache that Pam suffered was written on her expression.

"Fuck," Pam whispered, her voice thick with desire, "Please."

Had she stopped to consider her own words Pam would have remembered that no one had touched her _there_ in many decades, not since her last romp with Eric. Pam liked to fuck, and she _had_ fucked many women over the years; she had teased as many men; but she hadn't allowed any of them to touch her. Not _there_. As a human she had been forced to subject herself to unwanted sex with unwanted men far too often in order to survive. As a vampire, however, with the world at her fingertips, she relished in the fact that she had complete control over who the fuck got to touch her. She took that very seriously.

No one had impressed her enough to allow it in so many decades.

Not until now. Not until Tara.

Had she stopped to consider her own words she would have realized just that they were of some significance; but there was no stopping now.

There was just need.

Tara didn't hesitate upon hearing Pam's words. She didn't pause for clarification. She didn't need it. She could feel what Pam was feeling. She moved down Pam's body quickly. Foreplay had already happened for them. It wasn't something either of them had patience for now. Tara pulled Pam's thighs up around her head, granting her better access to the older woman's sex. Tara could feel the heat on her face, and she could smell the arousal that had pooled there. She lost herself then, caring about and feeling nothing else in the world, but the taste of Pam. She ran her tongue languidly through Pam's pink folds.

Pam's fangs clicked down then.

"Oh," Pam breathed out quietly, trying to choke back a cry, "Fuck," she whispered.

Her hands reached down to grab onto Tara's wet hair and she held the other woman's head in place. Tara dragged her tongue upward along Pam's cunt again and when she reached Pam's swollen pink nub she took it between her lips and sucked very gently before letting her tongue flick it softly. Pam gasped and pulled Tara's black hair slightly, which only served to encourage the younger vampire.

Tara ran her hand along the inside of Pam's thigh and when her fingers found the sopping wet center she plunged three of them in without hesitation. Pam gasped again and moaned quietly. Tara paused for a second before drawing her fingers out an inch and plunging them in again. Pam arched her back a little at the second thrust, and she bucked her hips. Tara fucked her then, her hand in constant, slow, focused motion. Her tongue kept working Pam's clit, licking it firmly and then gently, sucking tenderly every few seconds.

"Tara," Pam whispered, gripping Tara's hair at her scalp, running her fingers through it and then gripping it again, "Fuck. Oh, fucking Christ," she whimpered then, moving her hips to the rhythm that Tara had set. With every pump into her, Tara was bringing her closer to a release that she had needed for far too long. She could feel her cunt expand just slightly and then clench down onto the fingers that were working her skillfully. She was all gasps and whimpers, not able to make sense of anything beyond the fingers and the tongue; the thrusting and the tiny licks; the woman gazing into her eyes all the while, marveling at the sight of her.

"Come...come here," Pam stammered, panting. Tara, allowed herself one more quick lick of Pam's clit, which caused Pam's hips to buck violently. She continued thrusting her hand into Pam, gifted with a little pant each time she did. She moved her body upward until she faced her maker and their lips collided.

Pam moaned into Tara at the taste of her own juices on her progeny's mouth. Their tongues stroked each other viciously. Tara increased the speed at which she pumped her hand into Pam and Pam responded, tightening her thighs around Tara's waist, linking her ankles behind her ass, pulling her further in. Tara slipped another finger inside and Pam nearly lost herself then, but she managed to focus on the feel of Tara's hand still moving inside of her. She didn't want to give in just yet.

They kissed and Tara growled into Pam's mouth when of a small amount of warm fluid poured down her hand. It cause her own sex to throb intensely, and she felt like she might lose control too, though she hadn't been touched yet. Pam smiled when she heard the growl and she reached a hand up to Tara's perky breasts. One fit perfectly in her palm. She squeezed it a little before taking a hard brown nipple between her fingers and pinching it. Tara growled again. She pumped into Pam faster then, causing Pam to cry out in pleasure.

Pam buried her head into Tara's neck and she pulled Tara's head towards her own neck. Her fangs teased at the flesh there, causing Tara to moan. She kissed her once.

"You're mine," she panted, "Say it."

"I'm your's," Tara whispered into her ear.

"Bite, Tara," she commanded, though her voice was still quiet and broken.

Both sets of fangs pierced flesh then, and both women screamed into each other as sweet dark blood filled their mouths. They came. They clung to each other, their bodies rocking wildly as they drank. The same fluid that had escaped a few minutes earlier in a tiny spurt washed over Tara's hand then, fully releasing as Pam continued to rock. Tara's whole body trembled as she eased her fingers out of her maker in order to hug her hand around Pam's back, still blind to anything but the woman she held, who held her tightly in turn.

They drank from each other for a minute, before Pam retracted her fangs, signaling to Tara that she should do the same. Orgasmic aftershocks caused Pam's body to jerk every few seconds, and each time Tara placed a small kiss on her shoulder, her neck, her face. Several minutes passed before their hold on each other started to loosen.

Tara was the first to move. She pulled her body away slowly and rolled over to lay next to her maker, who only twitched slightly now. She took Pam's hand in hers, but aside from that neither of them moved. She was completely bewildered by what she had just experienced. Pam's eyes were closed and the smallest smile graced her lips. After a few moments and without warning she rolled to her side and nuzzled up to Tara who wrapped her arms around her maker without a thought.

"Well," Pam drawled, much like she had in the water earlier, but this time an inkling of surprise colored her tone.

"Mmm hmm..." Tara hummed in response.

Before she knew what happened Tara was hurled around and she found herself on her knees, her face buried in the mattress beneath her. Pam had moved and her head was now resting in the space between Tara's knees. She trailed her hands along her progeny's thighs slowly and settled them above, on the younger woman's backside. Tara's eyes were wide and questioning when they finally met Pam's gaze, but when she saw the blonde's wicked smirk and she felt Pam's hands directing her wet sex downward, she just chuckled and did what she could to brace herself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I make no money off of this here piece of fiction, and I own nothing of True Blood. I do think, however, that 10 or however fucking many months it is that y'all at HBO are making us wait for the next season is a fucking RIDICULOUS amount of time, so if any y'all are reading this, take note and don't do it again!

**Author's Note: **Thank you all SOOOO much for the kind reviews to the last chapter. Haha, glad I could entertain. Was honestly super nervous about it, never having written anything quite like it before. Here is Chapter 7! I had a lot of fun writing it so I hope that transfers over to you. Enjoy! I'll have the next one up as soon as I can, and I'll check this one for errors again in a bit, but they should be minimal for now. Cheers!

**Ch. 7**

With one final cry Tara collapsed onto the mattress. Her body trembled and jerked as she tried to work her way through an orgasm of an intensity she had never believed possible. She was seeing stars, hearing harps, and feeling every atom that floated around her body. She was also trying really hard not to let her bottom half crush her maker's wet face.

Pam's thirst for Tara, her need for the young woman who still whimpered over her, was quenched for the moment. She eased her head out from under Tara and she slowly crept her body up to rest it next to her progeny's. She pulled Tara into her arms and held her while her body convulsed, the force of each jerk lessening as the seconds ticked into minutes. Tara welcomed her maker's embrace and she curled up into Pam, wanting desperately to be held by the very person who had done this to her.

Once the tremors and shakes fully subsided a satisfied smile appeared on Tara's face. She breathed out a quiet laugh over Pam's neck.

"Well," she said, mimicking her maker's earlier tone and cuddling further into the blonde, who's eyes were closed and who's face looked more at peace than Tara had ever imagined it could, but who's ears were listening intently, "That happened."

Pam grinned, but she kept her eyes shut and her focus on the feeling of Tara in her arms. She tightened her hold a little.

They laid there for several minutes listening to water splash onto stone a few yards away. Neither wanted to move, but Pam knew she would have to and soon; before the pillow talk started. It could potentially lead to real talk and real talk was something she desperately wanted to avoid. They had already said so much and the implications of all of it threatened to crash down on her.

Pam was so focused on not wanting to talk that she failed to notice that Tara wasn't making her. She failed to realize that Tara could be much wiser than anyone had ever given her credit for. The young woman just laid in her maker's arms and let her body settle down. She sighed a small sigh as she finally felt the tremors subside.

"Hmm..." Pam hummed in response to Tara's sigh, "What?"

"Oh," Tara answered her lazily, "Just thinking."

Pam eyes shot open and she tensed a little at Tara's words, fearing what might come next. She wanted to get up and run out of the cave instantly, but her body stayed where it was. Tara sighed again feeling Pam's anxiety through their bond which was still open to her.

"What's your favorite color?" she asked Pam after a beat.

"_What_?" Pam responded, arching an eyebrow.

"What's your favorite color?" Tara said again playfully. Pam frowned a little.

"_Why_?" she asked the younger woman cautiously. Tara's bright eyes now shone up at her.

"I dunno. It just seemed like we were back on that date. That's the kind of thing you ask someone on a first date," Tara answered her quietly as her fingers started tracing small circles into the flesh at Pam's ribcage, "I like orange."

"Right," Pam drawled quietly. Her suspicious eyes scanned Tara's face. She sat up then and brought her knees to her chest, "Lavender."

"Nice," Tara smiled. She sat up then too and gently placed a hand on the small of Pam's back, causing Pam's eyelids to flutter closed and her body to shudder slightly, "I'm gonna get dressed," she whispered into Pam's ear and then she crawled off of the mattress and walked over to where her clothes were still sitting from earlier. A small pout immediately formed on Pam's lips when the strong body pulled away from her, but she caught it and hid it away before Tara was able to notice it. She rolled her eyes at herself.

"Hello?" a small voice called from the tunnel that led into their cave. Two sets of fangs clicked down at the sound and Pam was positioned in front of Tara in a flash. Tara tried to steady her legs, which were tangled in the underwear she'd only half managed to get on. They both glared at the entrance. The voice spoke again, "Hello? Hi, I wondered if you ladies required a bit of sustenance. I'm...um, I'm Mercedes."

Mercedes crept into the tunnel. While she looked harmless, the vampires stayed on guard. Tara's fangs were still descended and her eyes were still primally threatening, as she finished pulling on her black panties. Pam stood in front of her, her hands balled into fists at her sides, and her feet ready to leap. She looked amazingly intimidating, despite her stark nakedness; maybe more because of it.

Mercedes was a young woman, a teenager still. She had thick straight black hair that fell to the middle of her back and large dark eyes. Her skin was as pale as Pam's. She was adorable; everything about her clouded by an air of innocence and naïveté. She wore a long burgundy night gown. The small breeze that flowed through the tunnel made the bottom of the satin garb flap at her feet. She kept her eyes averted from the vampires, knowing they were nude still. Her cheeks were blushing a bright pink. She had been waiting in the tunnel for the last fifteen minutes, allowing the vampires the time they needed to finish what they had been so actively engaged in.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt, truly, but Colin insisted that I come check on you two. He said you need to feed...and not on each other," she told them shyly, noticing the blood stains on the mattress and knowing enough about vampire behavior to guess at what all their coupling had involved. Tara started to relax at the girl's words and her demeanor. She smiled little as she reached for her black bra. She looked up at her maker's back. Pam's muscles were still incredibly tense.

Pam moved then, strolling right up to the young girl in all her naked glory. She grabbed Mercedes by her hair and yanked her head to the side, exposing her jugular. She bit down viciously then without a word or the slightest bit of hesitation, eliciting a pained cry from her meal.

"Shit, Pam," Tara frowned as she called to her maker across the small room, "C'mon. She's just a kid."

"Oh, it's alright," Mercedes managed to say to her, though she winced a little when Pam pressed her fangs down again forcefully and kept feeding, "I'm quite comfortable with this, and I'm seventeen, so I'm perfectly within my rights to allow a vampire to feed on me here in Texas."

Tara arched an eyebrow at the girl and shook her head a little as she struggled to pull her dark blue skinny jeans around her hips. Pam fed for a few moments more. When she finally pulled away, licking traces of blood from her lips, her eyes sparkled at Mercedes and she grinned at her in thanks. She punctured her thumb with a fang before retracting them and rubbed a drop of blood onto the wounds she had inflicted. They started to heal.

"You really should try her," Pam drawled then as she walked back towards Tara, her voice sounding entirely satisfied after the meal. She turned to look at the girl again, "She's delectable. A virgin?"

"Yes," Mercedes nodded, looking to the floor then.

"How sweet," Pam said quietly, still grinning.

"I'm good," Tara muttered before pulling a form fitting black tank top over her head, "I'll just wait until we get back to the others. She's a kid."

"Tara," Pam spoke again, cupping Tara's cheek in her hand and directing her eyes to meet her gaze, "Feed," she commanded.

Tara met Pam's stubbornly, but she let her eyes soften after a moment and she leaned into Pam's touch. She pulled her body away from Pam's then and stepped towards Mercedes'. The girl pulled her hair over the shoulder that Pam had just held, exposing the other side of her neck to Tara.

"No, no. I'll just," Tara started, grabbing hold of Mercedes' right arm and rubbing a thumb along her wrist, "This okay?"

"Certainly," Mercedes smiled at her.

Tara bit down then and the human's warm blood flooded her mouth. Pam had been right. The girl tasted exquisite, and Tara's eyes started to roll into the back of her head as she drank. She lost most sense of anything around her until she felt Pam at her side. Pam kissed her neck tenderly.

"Don't drain her," she purred into Tara's ear before stepping away, trusting that her progeny could handle herself and desperately needing to find something to wear.

Tara checked herself then. She fought to stay focused on the girl's pulse and breathing while she finished her meal, careful not to take too much. When she finally pulled her fangs away with a sigh she felt completely sated. Pam had left plenty of blood for her. She smiled up at her maker then after sparing a glance at Mercedes, who still looked cheery if a little paler than she had a upon entering the cave. Pam was searching through the duffel bag that Tara had brought with them, less than pleased with what she was finding. Tara had wondered how this might go. Her smile started to fade.

"You should probably go," she whispered to Mercedes, puncturing her index finger and rubbing a drop of blood on the girl's wrist. She gave her a quick wink, "Thanks."

Mercedes nodded before turning to head back into the tunnel, leaving them alone. Tara made her way to the mattress and reached down to grab the combat boots she had pulled out of the bag earlier and the pair of socks she had tucked into them.

"Seriously?!" Pam hissed, her eyes narrowing, "I had a closet twice the size of this giant cavernous shithole, filled with over a hundred years of _high fucking fashion_, and _this_ is what you thought to grab for me?" she asked Tara incredulously.

"We didn't have a lot of time. I figured I'd grab what looked comfortable, and..." Tara started answering her, her eyes completely focused on her feet.

"Fuck comfortable!" Pam spat, "Ugh. This just won't do," she mumbled, her voice a little deflated.

"It's gonna have to, Pam," Tara said flatly, "I tried to match shit best I could," she mumbled then.

Pam sighed in response, but she ignored her progeny otherwise. She grabbed a pair of white lace underwear and a matching bra from the side of the large bag that was dominated by belongings she recognized as her own. She proceeded to put them on without a word. Tara snuck quick peeks at her and smiled to herself before returning to the chore of lacing up her black boots.

They were both dressed in a few minutes time. Pam sat at the edge of their mattress and ran a brush through her long blonde hair, doing what she could to tame it. She wore a soft white cashmere sweater that hugged her upper body deliciously, and tight gray jeans that did the same to her long lower half. On her feet she wore vintage white leather ankle-high boots that sported a tiny heel.

"I think you look fine," Tara told her irritated maker. Pam rolled her eyes, which caused the younger woman to shake her head a little, "You look lovely, Pam."

At those words Pam rose her eyes to meet Tara's. She looked lost. Her expression was devoid of any sass. Instead it begged for comfort and affection unbeknownst to its owner. It drew Tara in. Tara slowly straddled Pam's lap and placed a small kiss on her maker's pouting lips. Pam sighed into Tara's mouth and she returned the kiss, opening her mouth just slightly. Tara pulled her lips away and whispered into her maker's hair.

"You look lovely."

Pam placed a peck on Tara's ear and ran her hands down her sides before pulling Tara in for another painfully passionate kiss. Tara felt her hormones taking over as she bucked her hips inward towards Pam's. She laughed a little as she pulled her mouth away again.

"Mmm, we should go," she murmured, trailing tiny kisses down Pam's neck as she slowly started to pull her body away, "The world is still ending and shit."

"Right," Pam breathed, leaning in towards Tara's retreating frame, indulging is as many of the younger woman's sweet kisses as she could get before they were separated, "The world," she finished, rolling her eyes.

Tara stood up then and Pam followed suit, frowning slightly. She ran a hand through her thick blonde hair and tried to compose herself. She looked at Tara and Tara smiled at her widely, before reaching a hand out to take one of hers. Pam smirked at her and arched an eyebrow. She let Tara lead her into the tunnel.

When the neared Colin's lair they could hear Nora's voice echoing towards them. Pam found herself instantly annoyed. It sounded as if the rest of the group and their new acquaintances had started deliberations without them.

"I just don't understand why she would have chosen Bill as her vessel," Nora said, her voice quiet. She sounded genuinely perplexed, "Salome was older and much stronger. She was incredibly devout. She was also female which we always figured would matter if and when Lillith was given the opportunity to rise again. She's been depicted time and time again as a bit of misandrist."

"You sound disappointed," Pam drawled as she and Tara walked towards the rest of the group.

They were mostly sprawled on pillows and plush chairs in the area just below the platform where the thrones were positioned. Colin lounged in his large throne. He looked exceedingly relaxed. Brandon sat upright in the throne to his left and the child, Sylvia, sat in the throne to his right. Her little ankles were crossed and swinging, and her ears listening intently. Her mother stood at her side, her fingers playing with the ends of the little girl's hair.

Eric was seated at the edge of the platform facing the rest of the group. He had washed up and changed at some point in the last few hours and he now wore a clean white v-neck t-shirt, and black slacks. His feet were bare. His elbows were perched on his knees and his chin rested on his joined hands.

He had been deep in thought, his brow furrowed, but his expression softened when he caught sight of his progeny and hers walking towards them. They both looked wonderfully refreshed and they smelled like great sex. He grinned at Pam. She grinned back and took a seat next to him. Tara settled herself indian-style on the floor by her feet.

"No, not disappointed," Nora mumbled, her mind too far away to take Pam's bait.

"I guess I kinda wondered that too," Jessica spoke then a little shyly, "I mean, I was there with y'all for a little bit...at the Authority. I don't see why she would have picked Bill either. I know he was totally, like, into the whole Sanguinista thing towards the end there, but that was just so far from the Bill I knew," she shook her head, "He was as much a mainstreamer as any vampire I've ever met, and...I dunno. He was a good man. He cared about people, ya know?"

Tara huffed a little at her words, remembering the Bill Compton who left her to suffer the terror and torture that Franklin would inflict on her in Mississippi; remembering the Bill Compton she forced into of the light if day after having to pry him away from her best friend. That Bill Compton had nearly killed Sookie after she put her life on the line without a thought to save his. Tara huffed, but she said nothing. Pam glanced at her for a second, feeling the intense resentment and disgust that was plaguing her progeny at the moment, but she quickly turned back to the group.

"That could explain it," Colin said, looking to Jessica and giving her a warm smile, "His reluctance to embrace his nature as a vampire, his disdain for all that the mad god represents. That type of person is just the type a sadist of Lillith's magnitude would target, I imagine anyway. I'm not exactly sure. Pamela, enlighten us, would you?" he smirked at her.

Tara snorted out a surprised chuckled.

Eric smiled brightly, clearly amused.

Pam didn't miss a beat.

"Bend over. I'll happily enlighten you," she snarled, "Petulant fuck," she mumbled under her breath and shot a menacing glared at Tara who was trying desperately to wipe the grin off her face.

"Colin, what's a sadist?" Sylvia whispered at him from her throne.

"It's someone who gets pleasure out of causing other people pain, my love," he told her without any hesitation, "They're not all bad, and sometimes they can make people who like certain types of pain for one reason or another very happy. Sometimes they are bad though."

"Oh," she whispered, and nodded her head slightly. Her mother smiled down at her.

"I guess that makes sense," Nora nodded then too, finally coming to the painful realization that she and Salome had spent centuries not knowing what the fuck they were doing or dealing with.

"Poor Bill," Jessica whimpered a little then.

"Oh fucking _spare me_" Pam spat at her, "Bill Compton was a disgrace."

"Pam, he was the girl's maker," Eric turned to her, his eyes hard.

"A sorry fucking excuse for one if you ask me. I was there when she was first put to ground and I got to witness his...distaste. I had to baby sit her ass for quite awhile afterwards, at your command, and I've had to teach her quite a few of the fucking basics since. Don't you give me that shit, Eric," she retorted, unwilling to be shushed on the subject by him.

Jessica lowered her eyes to the floor at Pam's words and Eric turned away from her. Colin cleared his throat after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Well," he began, tempted in the moment to lighten the mood with another quip at Pam's expense. He decided against it, "Having made some sense of her choice of vampire, maybe, can we move onto what we think their next step will be? Dolores should be returning soon with an update from our friends on the surface, but until then, any ideas?"

All eyes, vampire, human and werewolf, turned to Nora, except for Sylvia's. Hers looked up at her mother and smiled.

"I don't know," Nora answered thirteen questioning stares, her voice shaking a little, "I just don't know. She could be doing anything at this point. She will need to feed, and quite a bit to fully achieve her strength, or to the extent that she can achieve in Bill's body."

"How much is that exactly? And what exactly is she capable of once she gets there?" Tara asked her.

"I don't know," Nora breathed, running her fingers through her brown hair then, "She won't be able to reach her full potential in the vessel, but however much she can access will be enough to severaly disturb the state of...well," she paused before sighing, "everything. She will get there more quickly by feeding on more potent blood; infants, small children, virgin girls. I imagine that is what she will start collecting," she continued, "As far as what she can do, I also don't exactly know. We got to taste a sliver of it yesterday. Possession, strong telepathic and telekinetic abilities, strength beyond anything any of us have experienced before. All of that has been hinted at in the histories and mythology. What the bible tells us is...fuzzy. It's a lot of her proclamations, but few specifics about her actual character."

"Hang on a second," Pam said, "How many centuries did you spend pining over this bitch to be able to provide us with this _wealth_ of fucking information?"

"Seriously," Tara muttered.

"Several," Nora answered them, her voice quiet, beyond the point of despair where she would give into Pam's insulting tone, "I was a believer. I was devout. I didn't ask very many questions," she practically whispered then, "It just made sense to me."

Eric glared at Pam. Pam glared right back at him.

"We might be able to fight her, though? Am I wrong? If she's still weak, or as weak as she gets...?" Jessica asked then, her tone cautiously optimistic, "I mean, y'all are witches, right? Powerful ones from what I'm gathering?"

"This isn't our battle," Lisa said calmly.

"It's everyone's battle if I'm not mistaken," Tara spat her, biting her tongue to keep from including an obscenity in her statement as her target's young daughter sat next to her.

"She's right, mama," Sylvia looked up at her mother, her honey brown eyes serious. Lisa tightened her jaw, but she said nothing else.

"So he would be gathering his strength right now. Now would be the time to strike, but we have no idea how to do so, what he's fully capable of at this point, what would ultimately bring about his demise," Eric started, looking at his sister, "Any of it?"

"Well, his demise is any of our demise," Nora answered him, "In that body what kills us kills him; the sun, a stake..." she trailed off, her eyes brightening a little.

"Okay, so we just stroll on in there and stake a bitch? I'm down," Tara announced.

"No," Nora answered her, still half lost in her thoughts. She yelled then, "No! I mean yes, but no! The remains! We can go for the remains!"

"Nora?" Eric looked to her, startled by her sudden outburst.

"The body of Lillith," she smiled back at him, but said nothing else. She stood up then and started pacing, sorting through hundreds of years of memory and mythology.

"Nora, do tell us more," Colin called to her sweetly.

"I think she's got something," Sylvia whispered to him, bouncing a little in her throne. Nora ignored them for several moments. She just mumbled to herself and kept pacing, biting her bottom lip as she did.

"_Vampire_!" Brandon boomed. It was the first word any of the vampire's in their party had heard him speak and it stopped Nora dead in her tracks. She looked up at him and beamed.

"The remains. Her ashes and her bones. They are...somewhere," Nora said quietly, meeting the werewolf's bright yellow eyes.

"Where?" Brandon asked her, his eyes narrowing to a slit.

"I don't know!" she laughed, "But I have an idea! The fairies! The fucking fairies have them. We were convinced, Salome and I. We searched for over a century, and we finally came to the conclusion that they were no longer in this realm."

"Okay...?" Tara pressed for her continue.

"We had an acquaintance maybe three hundred years ago. He researched with us, searched with us. For several decades. He was far older than Salome, older than Godric even. Ancient. He had seen fairies. We came to the conclusion with him that the fairy queen Mab had abducted the body of Lillith and taken it, well...somewhere," she told them excitedly.

"Where?" Brandon growled at her.

"I don't know! A different realm. A fairy realm. I really have no idea, but I think I know how we can find out. Salome and I decided to focus our energies on Lillith's blood as knew where it was. No vampire either of us knew had ever seen fairies and as far as we were able to discern they were extinct, but I think that vampire kept looking. I think he was able to find a link," she explained, "His name was Warlow. The human, the stupid one..."

"Jason?" Jessica asked quietly

"He spoke Warlow's name at the Authority, as we were leaving. He spoke Warlow's name!" Nora sang at them.

"Sookie," Eric whispered, his eyes darkening.

"Fucking fairy twat," Pam snarled.

"Oh fuck me. Seriously?" Tara buried her head in her hands.

"Sookie! Yes! That's a lead, right?!" Jessica said as she rose to her feet, excited and hopeful for the first time in what felt to her like forever.

"Can someone clue the rest of us in? What's a Snookie?" Carmen asked then, looking as puzzled as the rest of her group.

"Sookie. She's a fairy. Well, a half-fairy. She's our friend," Jessica answered her, smiling as she spoke.

"Y'all really throw that word around," Pam mumbled under her breath.

"Well, she's my friend," Jessica corrected herself, "She'll help us, I know she will."

"A fairy?!" Sylvia whispered excitedly at Colin.

"Apparently," he answered her, placing a hand on her knee to try and settle her.

"She'll help us if we can find her," Tara said then, skeptically.

"Right," Jessica sank a little.

"We can find her!" Sylvia jumped down from her throne and onto her feet. She bounced as she spoke, "We can find her! My coven and I, we've searched for fairies!"

"Oh man, I don't know about this shit," Carmen spoke again.

"Right? Fucking psycho bloodthirsty vampire gods? Seriously, Colin? Bran?" Dinah gawked up at the thrones where her brother and his vampire friend sat. Neither of their faces betrayed any emotion, but she had a very bad feeling about everything that had been said thus far.

"But, Dinah!" Sylvia practically yelled, "Fairies!"

"I know, sweetpea," she said to the child softly, "It's all very exciting, but it also sounds incredibly risky. We have such a nice home here. We are safe here."

"For how long?" Colin said to her, "Once the world starts to die around us, how long can we hope to remain safe? Especially if there is a chance that this beast can reach its full potential, which is what I imagine it will be after in seeking its remains. Am I right, Nora?"

"Yes, sorry. She...they...it will go after the remains, if not immediately then soon. Without the possibility of actually finding them I don't know that she would have even bothered to come back. I see that now. The knowledge that she has now of the fairies, of Eric's halfing; it's a game changer. If she finds her body she will be able to manifest a truer form. A more capable form. It would mean the end," Nora paused before continuing, "As it stands in her vessel she is capable of only so much. I don't want to try to comprehend what will happen if she finds her body."

"We're plenty fucked as it stands, actually," Dolores said then, appearing from a tunnel opening behind the thrones. All eyes were on her as she made her way to Colin's side and whispered something in his ear. She had changed out of the lingerie that she was wearing when the vampires first arrived. She wore black jeans now, work boots, and a thin white tank top that allowed her black bra to show through. She looked upset and exhausted.

"Pity," Colin said in response to what she told him. She'd said it quietly and quickly enough that the other vampires who thought to listen in could only make out a fraction of it. Someone had died. That much they were able to gather. Dolores handed him a folded piece of paper then and he looked it over. She walked over to her husband's throne and settled herself on the floor between his knees. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but he made no other move towards her and his expression did not change.

Colin spoke again after having paused for a moment to consider Dolores' words and the paper in his hands.

"Things are already destabilizing, my friends. Your creature has been hard at work. He's been able to make contact widely. Vampires are flocking to Louisiana by the thousands. They are leaving a trail of human bodies. They are raiding hospital nurseries and blood banks. Vampires who refuse the beast's summons are being slaughtered. The European Authority ranks have already fallen and others are well on their way. American military and police forces are being mobilized," he told them all calmly.

"My human contact on the outside has been executed. Isabel, my contact in Dallas and Godric's replacement as sheriff of that area has been executed. I have no word yet on my friend in Austin, which is closer to us. It seems as if a tight watch is being kept on the area around our barrier. I trust that it will hold, at least until he is able to implement some magic to counter it, but witches possessing power comparable to these are rare."

No one said anything for several moments.

"Fuck," Tara choked out finally, breaking the silence.

"Indeed," Colin nodded.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **True Blood is not mine. If it was Pam and Tara would get a whole hell of a lot more screen time than they do. Alas. I make no money off this little ditty.

**Author's Note: **Hey lovelies! Here is Chapter 8. Sorry it has taken me for fucking ever to get it up...second week at the new job and I got wicked sick. I've been passed out on cough dope for days now. Please feel free to let me know what you think of where I'm going with this so far. I could really use the input! AND please leave any other reviews and critiques. I live for that shit, haha. Enjoy!

**Ch. 8**

"Where does that leave us, then?" Eric asked the group after several moments of silence and processing.

"Fucked," Pam grunted.

"Not necessarily," Nora disagreed.

"_Thoroughly_ fucked?" Pam countered, thoroughly discouraged.

Tara subtly reached her hand out and she squeezed the back of her maker's calf. Pam looked down at her. The expression on her face was unreadable, but she did not pull her leg away.

"No. I really don't think so. If we can find Sookie Stackhouse then maybe we can find Warlow," Nora insisted, still clinging to some hope of redemption, "If we can find Warlow then maybe we can get to the remains before things get much, much worse."

"Things are already bad. It seems absurd to me that this wild goose chase would take precedence over battling what's being done right now. In this realm," Elaine said, rising to her feet. She looked somewhat panicked, but her voice was steady. Eleanor stood behind her, nodding her head and holding her sister's hand.

"I'm with you on that. We could be searching for your remains for who knows how long, Nora," Tara said, "What would be left to preserve once we found them?"

"I'm not suggesting that we simply ignore the current state of things. Lillith will be searching for them, however, whether we do or not. If she finds them there is no hope. It's what I can offer right now," Nora answered, her shoulders dropping.

"She was brought down before though, wasn't she? She was dead, and is risen again? How did that happen?" Mercedes asked quietly. She sat on the floor next to Tess. The young blonde seemed presently disengaged from the conversation. She simply watched Sylvia's eyes, very intently.

"Some say that it was her progeny who betrayed her. Cain's wife and sister, Awan. According to our text she sought Lillith out after Cain's death, shunned by most as the widow of the first murderer. Another line of thinking is that she was destroyed by older gods and their followers, but that has been less researched."

"Pagans?" Mercedes asked.

"Or fairies. Or pagan humans who were made fairy, or who's children were? It's speculation. So much of it is speculation and rumor. The sun though; I know she was forced into the sun, or tricked into it. She burned," Nora answered.

"That witch? Marnie? She was able to make vampires walk into the sun. I almost fried," Jessica spoke then.

"She was and that is something I've considered given our present company. I just wonder if that would work in this case," Eric responded.

"It might. Like I said before, right now they are incredibly powerful, but they are not Lillith. Not truly. The vessel can be hurt," Nora told them. She paused before continuing, "If her initial downfall was brought about by her progeny then I don't imagine she will allow for such betrayal again."

"She won't. I tried to get one over on Bill before, but he was already so...suspicious," Jessica remembered, a small frown on her face.

"So," Colin summarized, "Contact will need to be made with the your halfling and a search for the remains will have to be executed. We will also want to launch...some sort of...magical attack?"

"Are y'all capable of that?" Tara asked their hosts, looking first to Colin and Brandon and then around the room to the women, "And I guess more importantly, are y'all _down_ with that?"

"Our magic is strong. We are descended from a long line of powerful witches who have practiced together over centuries. As Sylvia's guardian Lisa keeps her safe and her power as a mother strengthens us, but her late husband Thomas, he was of our Seven. The strongest and our leader. Sylvia is now," Elaine told them.

"The child," Nora frowned a little, glancing over at Sylvia, who's small face smiled at her brightly.

Pam shook her head and ran a hand through her blonde mane. Eric smiled at her and at his sister, noticing their frustration and disbelief. He had been well aware of the situation, but figured it would be best if everyone else found out in time. He had already been subject to so much grief from all of them and he was bored of it. This was proving much more enjoyable.

"Yes. She is really quite incredible. She already has so much less to learn than the rest of us," Eleanor answered the query.

"Wait, so Colin...? The wolves?" Tara asked, her own face frowning now. She looked back to Colin, "I thought you said they were all yours."

"As far as your lot is concerned, and any other vampire we should happen upon, they are," Colin answered her firmly.

"Humans, even powerful magical humans: mediums, psychics, empaths; we are all tapped into a different natural energy than werewolves, vampires and other supernaturals. Halflings are especially interesting," Dolores explained, "Colin, Brandon and Dinah; they do not practice with us, but our connection to them, it strengthens us. We feed off of them in a away," she finished, grinning up at her husband as she said her last few words.

"So they're _your_ bitches? And not the other way around?" Tara attempted to clarify. Sylvia quietly stepped over to the edge of the platform where Tara's back rested. She hunched over so that her mouth could whisper into Tara's ear.

"They are our family, baby vampire. Dinah is the only _actual_ bitch," she said eerily. Tara jumped at her words, too distracted to have noticed the child nearing her. Dinah grinned at them.

"It's quite complicated, sister," Colin spoke then, "The way the magic of the world works. The connections we all have to it and the way in which we empower each other. The coven, The Seven, they have always welcomed a vampire into their worship; a wolf, a shifter, or a fairy when fairies could be found. We are tied together by bonds of blood. Bonds love, magic and sex."

"How did you find them, Colin?" Pam asked him, her voice flat and her expression still troubled.

"Godric. He lived for several years with the last generation, leaving them for his position in Dallas. He brought their children to me nearly a decade ago when the last of those witches passed and when their wolf ran to the woods to live out the last of his days," he answered her.

Pam said nothing in reply, but her mind was hard at work processing all of the information they had received. Tara watched her for a moment, amazed that Pam was speaking to Colin, civilly. She turned her attention back to the witches, not wanting to be caught staring.

"So it sounds like y'all are saying you're capable. Are you down then?" Tara asked them. The women looked to each other, some shrugging. Tess smiled at Mercedes who's brow was furrowed. They all looked to Sylvia then, who was standing next to Tara still.

"Yes," she answered firmly, her sweet eyes determined. Her mother appeared behind her and settled a hand on her little shoulder.

"We need to do some research!" Tess jumped to her feet then and grabbed Mercedes' hand, dragging her to the far end of the cave opposite where the group had gathered. Carmen slowly stood up and followed them, shaking her head a little. They disappeared into a small opening in the rocks.

"Dolores," Colin called to her, "I need word on As'sad, and you might try to reach your...well, everyone."

"On it," the woman answered him, pulling herself up to her tired feet, using Brandon's knees for balance. Elaine and Eleanor made their way to her side and Eleanor wound an arm around her waist.

"We'll help you, Dols," Eleanor said, a seductive smirk on her lips. Brandon looked up at his wives. His expression did not move, but his eyes were warm and full of tender affection for them. They smiled down at him and made their way to their quarters so that the twins could change. Dinah stepped towards her brother and knelt by his side.

"The pack?" she asked him quietly.

"Not yet," was his only reply.

"You might want to at least see where they are, friend," Colin said, looking over at the siblings.

"Not yet," Brandon answered again and finally.

"Very well," Colin nodded.

Jessica walked over to where Tara sat and she dropped down next to her friend.

"What's up?" Tara asked the teenager, who looked less hopeful than she had earlier at the mention of Sookie.

"Are you scared? I mean...this is insane. It's all so fucking insane," Jessica said quietly, rubbing her forehead a little as she spoke.

"Yup," Tara answered her with a sigh. Jessica couldn't tell if Tara was agreeing with her assessment of the situation they were in, or if she was confessing her own fear, but she didn't push for clarification.

"We'll be okay," Tara spoke again, "We've already survived some stupid shit. This is just another thing."

Pam inched the calf that Tara still held in her hand closer to her, so that it pressed against her progeny's upper arm just slightly. The action went unnoticed by Jessica, but Tara caught it and she massaged her maker's muscle lightly in turn. Pam didn't look at her or acknowledge her any further, but she did not move her leg away. She turned to Eric. Nora was standing next to him now.

"Just a couple of hours 'til dawn, Eric. What's next?" Pam asked her maker, arching an eyebrow. He shook his head.

"I don't know. We wait and see what they come up with and then decide who does what," he answered her.

"We need to find your fairy, brother. Really, it should be our priority," Nora insisted quietly.

"I understand that you think that the best course of action, but I still don't know how comfortable I am with it. This Warlow. I know nothing of him," Eric told her, a hint of anger in his tone, "I will not have her harmed."

"I respect that you are attached to her, but we have little choice," Nora said flatly. Eric rose to his feet and stormed off towards the tunnel that he had claimed earlier in the night.

"Eric?" Nora called after him.

"Not now, Nora!" his voice boomed back at her. She dropped her head before shaking it. She made her way to a chair and sat without another word. Colin watched their interaction and he looked at his own vampire sister. He smiled and called down to her from his throne.

"Tara," he began, his voice warm, "I still know so little about you. You're from Louisiana?"

Tara looked back at him, caught off guard by his question and still unsure of him in general. She glanced over at Pam and saw her eyes narrow at his voice.

"Um, yeah. Bon Temps. Born and bred," she answered with a nod after taking a second to collect herself, "You?"

"Cornwall. In all it's soggy splendor. Pamela found me in a tavern one rainy night. Do you remember, mother?" he asked her with a chuckle.

"Don't call me that," Pam hissed at him, annoyed, but resigned to her fate. She would sit where she was, next to Tara and Jessica and wait for Eric's return, word from the witches, or for the rising sun. She had a feeling that if she dragged Tara back to their quarters, as much as she wanted to, they would miss out on important information as far as they were concerned. She refused to allow that to happen.

"You call Eric father on occasion, if I'm not mistaken, as he did Godric," Colin replied to her saucily, "Why should I not be allowed to indulge in the same creature comforts?"

"Because it creeps me the fuck out," she spat back at him.

"Sister, what do you call our dear maker?" Colin asked Tara then, his eyes twinkling with delight.

"Pam," Tara answered him, her voice firm. She looked away from him then, not liking where he was taking the conversation, "I call her Pam."

"Well, I call her Pamela because it is how she introduced herself to me," he said then, feigning hurt, "And I refer to her as mother because it chaps her ass. Hers is an ass that would do well with a bit of a chap."

Jessica coughed out a tiny laugh, earning her a threatening glare from Pam.

"Sorry," she whispered, trying to hide her grin, "You know I love you, Pam."

Pam rolled her eyes at the young redhead.

"Yeah, well, she introduced herself to me as my worst fucking nightmare, but now I know that she likes Pam. _Just_ Pam," Tara told Colin then, her eyes hard.

Pam couldn't help the shiver that ran up her spine at Tara's words. She closed her eyes and sighed the, very quietly, relishing in it. As determined as she had been to sit and wait, she rose to her feet then.

"Tara," she said to the younger woman sparply, "A word?"

Tara stood up, confused. She followed Pam as the older woman quickly stepped towards the entrance of their tunnel and into the passageway. They walked for a few moments in darkness before Pam came to an abrupt stop nearly causing Tara to slam into her.

Tara found herself pushed up against a stone wall in a flash, her maker's body pressed against hers. Pam kissed her. Tara didn't need access to Pam's emotions to gauge all that she was putting into the kiss. Their tongues warred and they moaned into each other for several moments before Pam tore her mouth away and directed it to Tara's left ear. She suckled on Tara's earlobe for a second before speaking, causing Tara's eyes to flutter closed and a small pant to escape her lips.

"You stay with me, you hear?" Pam hissed then.

"Pam?" Tara said. She searched for her maker's eyes to try and get a better understanding of where her mind was at, but Pam would not move her lips from her progeny's ear.

"You stay with me. I don't know what is going to happen, I don't know what we are all going to have to do, but I'll be good and staked if you think you're going anywhere without me, Tara," she continued somewhat urgently, "Is that understood?"

"Yes," Tara answered her. She had no clue what had brought this on, not having considered that her words to Colin would have any effect on her maker when she said them. She swallowed, overcome at the nearness of the other woman and at the intensity that emanated from her, "Of course."

Pam sighed and kissed Tara's neck then. She moved her fingers up from Tara's hips and she dragged them along the sides of her progeny's toned abdomen, gripping the flesh around her ribs slightly. She breathed her in.

"You smell like peaches," Pam purred.

With that she ripped her body away and she started back towards the main room, leaving Tara incredibly aroused, still confused, and effectively much more terrified of the potential horrors that awaited them than she had been before. She pried herself from the wall after a second and tried to force her libido into submission, which was no easy task. She slowly walked back to where the group was apparently starting to reconvene. Tess and Carmen emerged from the hole they had crept into earlier, their arms loaded with books and loose papers.

"This is gonna be so much fun, y'all!" Tess laughed, her thick Texan accent painfully endearing, "Fucking fairies!"

"Oh!" Sylvia bounced at her mother's side, "You found it!"

"Uh huh! Sure did," Tess smiled up at the little girl, "Mercedes should be up with the last bit in a second and with some other notes we might wanna peek at. We're gonna have to check our stores to make sure we have what we need, but I'm pretty sure we do. He knew it all along, sweetie. Your daddy was right. We just needed a name."

"Sookie," Sylvia beamed.

"Usually," Pam growled, reclaiming her spot on the platform.

"Fucking Sookie," Tara shook her head as she reached the platform a few moments later. She stole a quick glance at Pam's face, but her maker's expression betrayed nothing. Tara sighed and she reclaimed her place next to Jessica, who grinned at her, "What?"

"Nothing," the redhead answered, still grinning.

"Welcome back, family," Colin smirked down at them.

"Fuck, Colin! _What_?!" Pam snapped at him then, furious, "Do you have something else to say? Another passive aggressive jab? Or the insistence that I'm sure is fucking coming for my heartfelt fucking apology for having released you, you insufferable prick?! Fucking _what_?! Say it," she demanded, her voice still raised.

"Oh. No. I was just," Colin began, a little startled, but also incredibly amused at her explosion, "welcoming...you...back?"

"I'm sick of your shit," Pam snarled at him.

"I know. It's entertaining," Colin teased. Tara and Jessica looked from Pam to Colin, both sets of eyes wide. The wolves ignored them much more interested in what the witches were starting to lay out onto a large table. Eric emerged from his tunnel then and proceeded towards that table, having caught wind of the altercation, but wanting nothing to do with it.

"You were better off without me," Pam said more quietly then, still glaring at Colin who was now sitting upright in his throne.

"I was," Colin replied before rising to his feet and stepping towards her. He stood before his maker for a moment, smiling down at her gently and cupping her cheek in his hand. She tensed at the contact, but he did not let it push him away, "I know I was. It took me a little while to realize that fact, but I did, and I've thanked you for your decision every day since," he said as he lowered his lips to her forehead and pressed a tender kiss there, "Mother."

Colin stepped away from her then and he made his way towards the table where the witches, the wolves, and the viking had gathered.

"Ass," Pam hissed towards his retreating form. She looked down to where Tara and Jessica still sat, gawking at her. She snapped her fingers at them, "You two! Get up!"

She didn't have to say it twice. They were up and approaching the others in a second.

"We have shifter blood? You're sure? I thought we used..." Carmen began, but Tess cut her off.

"We have it," Tess huffed, "We should probably write out a quick list and go get this stuff together. Whatever we can find for the other incantations too."

"So," Eric began, not quite knowing how to continue. Tess smiled over at him.

"So! Sylvia's dad was in the process of fine tuning a spell when he passed. He'd been working on it for years. He was determined to make contact with fairies, never entirely convinced of their extinction. Something about a dead boy's spirit he'd met some time ago, who told him things. I don't exactly know. I just know he swore this could work," she explained, "We just needed a name, I see that now. We needed to actually be channeling someone, and not just..._the fairies_. It should travel through the realms to reach her wherever she might be, if we get it just right, which we will...'cause we're awesome."

"Right," Nora said, reading words that made little sense to her and a list of ingredients that included shifter blood, vampire blood, a child's blood, moss, and actual eye of newt among other things, "If you reach her, will you be able to bring her here?"

"Nope," Tess answered quickly, "That'll be on her, but she'll know where to go."

Mercedes emerged then and walked towards them. She held onto a few loose papers and she set them on the table before reaching for the tome she had been pouring over earlier in the night. She looked upset as she opened the book and searched through it's pages frantically.

"There was a witch in the seventeenth century..." she mumbled to herself, her brow crinkling, "a Spanish witch."

"Antonia," Tara said then. Mercedes' eyes shot up at her and she smiled widely.

"Thank you! That was driving me crazy. Antonia Gavilan, she was brilliant," Mercedes said, her voice quieting in awe towards the end of her statement, "Wait, how did..."

"She was a cunt," Pam drawled, loudly. All eyes turned to her, "She fucked with my maker. She fucked with my face. She tried to kill all of us. She was a fucking cunt."

"Takes one to..." Colin started.

"Motherfucker..." Pam grumbled.

"Colin!" Eric cut them both off, glancing over at his grand-progeny, his expression hard.

"Right," Colin responded, clearing his throat a little.

"I'm confused," Mercedes said then, trying to make sense of Pam's words. She turned to Carmen who looked equally as befuddled.

"The witch Jessica spoke of earlier; Marnie; she was possessed by the spirit of Antonia Gavilan, who was on...well, something of a crusade against our kind for awhile," Eric clarified, "It was all very messy."

"You just lost your memory. I was turned into a walking fucking horror show," Pam seethed, remembering the chemical peel, the injections, the chunks of her face that would fall into her hands...the smell. She seethed.

"Wow," Dinah breathed, glancing over at her brother who said nothing.

"Ah," Carman nodded, frowning slightly, "Okay then."

"Well, I wasn't suggesting channeling her, if that helps at all," Mercedes said, smiling at Pam warmly, "I think we have some of her journals and spell books, actually. We shouldn't need to. It's funny though, I was just reading about her a few days ago."

"Hilarious. Move on," Pam insisted, not amused in the slightest.

"Um, Dinah? Would you maybe run down to storage and collect these things for us?" Tess asked the wolf bitch shyly, holding a rather long and scribbled list out to her, "You might take someone with you. It'll probably require two sets of hands."

"Of course, sweetness," Dinah answered, her eyes raising from the table to look at the young blonde. She grabbed the list from her hand, letting her fingers linger on the other girl's for a moment before pulling them away. Tess dropped her bright blue eyes to the floor immediately and she blushed fiercely. Dinah turned to leave. She glanced over at Jessica, "Would you mind?"

"Oh no, not all!" Jessica replied, practically jumping in her eagerness to help. The two of them walked away. Jessica turned and whispered to the werewolf as they put some distance between themselves and the rest of the group, "She cute. Bubbly."

"I have a thing for blondes. For that blonde especially," Dinah smirked, "She is young. Limited in her experience sexually, but I think I've got her warming up to the idea."

"Uh huh. Yeah. You do," Jessica said, giggling a little. Dinah's smirk widened as they entered an opening in the stone next to the one the three witches had returned from a few minutes ago.

"So the first step will be contacting the fairy," Tess started telling the rest of the group, "We'll have to wait for Dolores and the twins to get started. Once we make contact it'll be up to her to make her way here."

"She will," Eric whispered.

"Right, well when she gets here we will try to figure out what, if anything, she knows about Nora's old friend," Mercedes continued.

"I'm sure if Jason knew anything about him, Sookie knows more," Tara stated flatly.

"Then it will be a matter of making contact with him, and finding out what he knew of the whereabouts of the body. Once that is done, maybe Sookie can take us to them?" Nora asked.

"Maybe so," Mercedes nodded.

"What about the here and now? What plan do we have to fight whatever the fuck is going on out there?" Carmen asked.

"Dawn is fast approaching, but I figure we are still safe until night falls again," Colin replied, "We can take the time we have left to devise a plan to execute then. If we are able to find a way into a fairy realm, the fewer vampires sent into it, the better. Nora seems an obvious choice."

"My sister and I can join her and the fairy. She enjoys wolf blood so we will be able to keep her sustained. We will need the witches here," Brandon told them. Eric's jaw tightened. He was not comfortable letting Sookie wander off in search of Lillith's remains with anyone but himself, but he stayed quiet.

"I will stay with them," Colin agreed.

"Very well," Nora nodded.

"I will make contact with the pack before we leave Colin," Brandon told his friend. It was clear that he was less than happy to be offering, for reason's few in their company knew, but he did, "I will rally them here and leave them with whatever instruction is pertinent once we decide how to proceed."

"Thank you, old friend," Colin smiled at him and gave him a firm pat on the back.

Dinah and Jessica appeared at the far end of the cave then, both carrying milk crates full of jars, bags, and bottles. Jessica was whispering to the werewolf, a grin on her lips.

"I'm sure he would have gone for it if we'd gotten to that point," she said. Dinah nodded and smiled warmly at her.

"He'd have been a fool not to," she whispered to the redhead before turning her attention to the rest of the group. They both set their crates down on the table. Tess smiled at them, her cheeks pinking again slightly.

"Thanks," she said quietly as she walked towards them and started sorting through the contents in the crates.

"We don't exactly know how things have progressed out there, but I trust that we will have allies at our disposal if we do decide to attack," Colin spoke then, refocusing the group on the discussion, "Godric was well loved in Texas."

"Should we try to draw it here? The beast? And if so how do we go about that?" Carmen asked.

"Jessica," Eric answered her.

"Sorry?" Jessica choked out the word as her eyes shot over at him.

"If we take you beyond the barrier he will be able to sense you. He will want to collect you. As far as we know you are his only progeny," Eric told her firmly. Her eyes widened.

"I don't know how comfortable I am with that," Mercedes interjected, "Using the girl as bait? Bringing him so close to this space?"

"I like that idea better that our going to him and the hordes of vampires that have been migrating to Louisiana, from what we've been told. This is our home. We know the ground here," Carmen countered her.

"Jessica?" Pam arched an eyebrow at the young vampire. Jessica gulped and nodded slightly.

"I'll do what I have to do," was all she said to them.

"Good girl," Pam told her, a smirk on her lips, but a hint of worry in her eyes. Jessica smiled at the praise despite her terror. Pam looked to Colin, "How far does the barrier extend?"

"A hundred miles in either direction," he answered her calmly. Pam turned to Eric then.

"We'll go with her," she insisted.

"No," Eric told her, continuing before Pam could argue the point, "I will go with her. I have other plans for you."

"Care to elaborate?" Tara asked him when he said nothing after a few moments.

"Not now," he said which earned him a quizzical look from Pam. Tara just rolled her eyes.

"Awesome," she sighed.

"My wives are returning," Brandon whispered then, his nose sniffing the air around them. A few moments later Brandon's three wives emerged from the area behind the thrones.

"Ladies!" Colin beamed at them, "As'sad?"

"He left a message," Dolores told him, her expression weary. She unfolded a piece of paper that she held in her hands and proceeded to read the words that had been scratched onto it, "Colin. The hippies are burning. The air wreaks of patchouli. It's all gone to shit. Heading north. As'sad, Sheriff of Area 8, Austin."

"Wonderful," Colin quipped sarcastically, his eyes darkening.

"We were able to establish contact with two of the covens that we reached out to. They will be on their way shortly," Elaine said then,

"People are struggling, running; panicking and trying to survive. We should be glad of whatever help we get," Dolores added.

"Right," Tess nodded solemnly, "Well, let's get set up then, I guess. We can begin when the others arrive. Strength in numbers!"

"Sylvia will rest until then," Lisa said firmly.

"But, mama..." Sylvia started to protest.

"No ma'am," Lisa cut her off, lifting the little girl into her arms and walking away from the table, "We will rest until then, my love. I will not be discussing it with you further."

Sylvia frowned, but she kept quite and allowed her mother to take her to bed. The rest of the group turned their attention back to Tess, who was situating the last of the materials they would need for their attempt at contacting Sookie. She said nothing to them, incredibly focused on her task.

"The vampires should retire as well," Mercedes said she made her way to the center of the room. She proceeded to re-arrange the furnishings in the living space, "Dawn is fast approaching. You all need to rest. We can handle it from here. With any luck you'll wake to find your fairy here."

Pam snorted at the girl's words. She turned to Eric. Her eyes were full of questions. He gestured for her to follow him as he rested a hand on the small of Nora's back. He led them towards the walkway. Pam glanced at Tara and Jessica and they stepped in line with her. Colin watched them as they walked away, catching Pam's eyes and smirking at her. They made their way to Eric's tunnel and through it in silence reaching his quarters several minutes later. His room was set up much as Pam and Tara's had been, only his lacked a fourth wall altogether and instead of a natural spring shower there was shimmering pool of water a few steps down.

"Pam," Eric began, settling himself down on his bed. Nora sat down beside him.

"Eric?" Pam looked at him eager to know what he would be asking of her. She and the two younger vampires remained standing.

"I need you to go back to Lousiana," he began. Pam sighed and nodded, not appearing surprised at his words, but also not at all excited to hear them. He paused for a second, needing to steel himself before continuing as he was well aware of the danger he was asking his progeny to venture into, "You can leave for New Orleans at dusk. If we are able to get Bill here, if we can hold him, then I will need the area stabilized."

"What? Fucking why?" Tara gawked at him, "Let it burn."

"No," Eric answered her flatly, "There is a reason the Authority positioned themselves there and stayed. I mean to retake it."

"What if...what if we aren't able to hold him here?" Jessica asked then, knowing what that possibility could mean for her.

"Then we will need an established resistance in that area," Eric answered her.

Pam ran a hand through her blonde mane. She knew how ridiculous this course of action sounded to the younger vampires, but she also knew that Eric was right about the place. There was something in the swamps of Louisiana that could not be left in control of fundamentalist Sanguinista masses. It was the thing that had allowed for a mad god's rebirth. The thing that attracted maenads and fairies. The thing that bred mediums, psychics, and psychotics in greater numbers than most other places on the continent.

"I'll head out at dusk," Pam said evenly before turning on her heel and walking out of the cave.

Tara watched her leave. The baby vampire's eyes were wide. She still did not understand. Eric looked up at her, sensing her confusion.

"Think about your life, Tara," he told her quietly.

It all came to her in a flash. Her mother's demons. Her best friend who could read people's minds. Her schizophrenic aunt. Her cousin who could speak to the dead. Sam. Maryann and Eggs. Franklin. Marnie. She thought of the great grandmother she never got to meet; a hoodoo practitioner lynched by a mob in Marthaville for supposedly cursing the white boy who raped her younger sister. All of these thoughts ran through Tara's head in a second's time and she sighed, finally thinking of what she had just recently become. A creature of the night. A vampire. Her life had been insane...and incredibly magical. Sookie's and Lafayette's as well. They were Louisiana's children.

"Yeah," she whispered, still half lost in her reminiscing. She raised her eyes to meet Eric's a second later, "I'm going with her."

"Of course," Eric nodded, expecting the declaration from the young woman who he had come to realize was fiercely devoted to his progeny, "If you'll excuse us now Tara, Jessica. I need a word in private with my sister."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **True Blood is not mine and I make no money from this story. I write it because I need to keep myself sane somehow as I wait for the next season. Don't sue me!

**Author's Note: **I fucking heart you guys! Thank you for the reviews and keep em' coming. Seriously. They inspire the shit out of me and they help guide me. I'm hoping to get the next chapter up this weekend. Hope this one will tide y'all over until then ;). Enjoy. Review. Floss. Stay safe out there.

**Ch. 9**

Tara made her way to the cave that she was sharing with Pam. She crept into the space and found her maker pacing slowly, deep in thought.

"Hey," she called out quietly. Pam stopped abruptly and turned to face her. Everything about her maker looked troubled, from her tense posture to her worried brow. Pam opened her mouth to speak, but Tara cut her off before she could say a word, "What you said earlier, that still applies. I'm staying with you, Pam."

"I don't think..." Pam started, but Tara cut her off again.

"I will either go with you, or I will follow your fucking ass, goddammit. I'm not letting you go alone," Tara continued, her voice raising an octave. She sighed then, collecting herself.

"This goes both ways, blondie. You can't expect me to just let you go. Not now. You wouldn't let me. You said as much when you figured Eric might send me off on some shit not half as fucked up as this," she said. She paused before continuing quietly, "It goes both ways."

Pam said nothing for several moments. She just studied Tara. The young vampire's stance was wide and her hands were balled into fists. Her dark eyes were as hard as the rock that surrounded them. Tara was stubborn. Maybe the most stubborn person Pam had ever come across. She was not going to budge on this. Pam believed her progeny when she said that she would follow her. Pam could insist that she not. She could even command her to stay, but she knew that Tara would find a way. She could tell from the look in her eyes.

Pam didn't want to go. She didn't want to embark on what could very well end up a suicide mission back into the belly of the beast that Bill Compton had become. She hadn't expected Eric to assign her this task. She knew it would have to happen eventually, but she figured it was of such import that he would want to see to it himself. He had trusted her with it. While she really wanted to feel proud and flattered at that fact, all she felt was nauseous. Tara's determination to risk her life again in order to join her was heightening that sensation incredibly. As she looked into her progeny's unwavering gaze, however, Pam reluctantly decided that she would not argue the matter. She was going to choose not to fight this battle, for the moment anyway, knowing that she needed to preserve what precious little energy she had for the battles that lay ahead. She told herself that it would be safer for Tara to leave with her, rather than after her and alone.

"Okay," Pam whispered. Tara's stance relaxed and her eyes softened. She loosened her fists and hooked her thumbs onto the belt loops of her jeans.

"Okay," she said in response, dropping her eyes to the floor then, embarrassed at her near outburst. Pam kept staring, her expression unchanged. After a few moments of their awkwardly standing across from each other, not knowing what to say and terrified of the nights to come, Tara stepped towards her maker very slowly. She stopped an inch away from the older vampire and she leaned in and placed a shy kiss on her full lips. Pam sighed.

"You're fucking bullheaded," she hissed at her progeny.

"Yup," Tara agreed and kissed her again.

"You will follow my lead," Pam whispered then, her voice quiet, but insistent.

"Mmmhmm," Tara hummed as she kissed her again. Pam's eyes fluttered closed and she let her fingers touch Tara's thighs lightly.

"I'm fucking serious, Tara. You will..." Pam started to say, but Tara captured her mouth then and they kissed each other deeply. Pam sighed and she pulled her lips away, "You'll do as I say," she murmured before succumbing to another kiss, one that caused her to whimper into Tara's mouth.

"Yes'm," Tara whispered. She kissed Pam again and unlinked her tumbs from the fabric of her pants. She touched her maker's cheek gently with one hand while the other grabbed at Pam's hip. She pulled Pam's lithe body into hers, eliminating what space remained between them. She gently pushed their bodies forward until Pam's back was pressed against a stone wall. Pam broke their kiss.

"You will not," she started, but Tara's lips cut her off again. The younger woman's forceful tongue stroked hers and she moaned. Tara ran her hand up Pam's waist and along her ribcage until she reached a full breast. She cupped it, causing Pam to tremble. Pam pulled her mouth away again, "You will not leave my side," she finished, her voice shaking.

"Got it," Tara whispered into her ear quickly before kissing and nipping at her neck forcefully with her flat front teeth.

"That's my girl," Pam murmured then, finally letting herself relax a little.

"All your's," Tara whispered in reply, before finding Pam's mouth again and assaulting it with another powerful kiss. Pam hooked one leg around Tara's waist and pulled the younger woman firmly against her pelvis. Two sets of fangs popped down at the action and their owner's smiled into each other's mouths. Tara moved their bodies towards the bed. She settled her maker down onto the mattress and she started lifting Pam's sweater off, stopping to nip at her belly.

"_Fuck_," Pam hissed at the sensation of Tara's mouth on the flesh of her abdomen, "Fuck, what the fuck are you doing to me?"

"I don't know, but let me," Tara answered quickly, smiling up at her. Pam's eyes darkened with desire.

Pam finished pulling her sweater over her head a second later and she reached back to unclasp her bra as Tara continued to plant wet kisses on her stomach, slowly moving up to her torso. Pam pulled the white bra off and she watched as Tara's eyes gazed at her exposed breasts adoringly for a moment before she took a pink nipple into her mouth. She worked it slowly with her tongue. Pam moaned and she let her head fall back onto the mattress. Tara pulled her mouth away and she grinned before turning her attention to the other nipple and similarly ravishing it.

"Fuck," Pam breathed, her fingers gripping at the mattress beneath them and her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

Tara massaged the nipple with her tongue firmly and then lightly. She sucked it gently for a moment before dragging one of her fangs along the hardened flesh. Pam's eyes fluttered open and shone down at her. Tara met her stare, her own dark eyes twinkling mischievously. She sunk her fangs into the soft white flesh that surrounded the nipple then, her tongue rubbing slow circles around the hard nub as she did. Pam cried out. Tara pressed her thigh down against Pam's denim covered sex and her maker pushed back against her. She sipped the blood that trickled into her mouth for a moment before pulling away.

Pam reached down to pull the younger woman's tank top over her head, removing it quickly. She pulled Tara's face down to her own and she plunged her tongue into Tara's smiling mouth. She was grinding her pelvis against Tara now, aching for relief from the agonizing throb that was present in the region.

They kissed urgently, mad with their need for each other. Tara reached around and unclasped her own bra, never pulling her mouth away. She tossed it aside and Pam cupped both of her breasts in her hands immediately. She let her fingers tweak the hard dark flesh of Tara's nipples before she ran both hands down Tara's hard abdomen. She unbuckled Tara's belt and unbuttoned her pants quickly.

They smiled at each other as Pam started pushing Tara's pants down past her hips and they kissed again. Pam impatiently gave up on pulling the jeans and underwear the rest of the way down, remembering the obstacle of Tara's boots, and instead her hand moved towards Tara's hot center. She immediately plunged two fingers in into her progeny's dripping wet cunt and they both gasped. Tara's head dropped to Pam's neck and she bucked against her maker's fingers.

"All mine," Pam whispered as she reached and thrust her hand deeper into Tara, who bucked over her, crying out a little with each pump.

"All your's," Tara whimpered. Pam pulled herself up and rolled Tara onto her back then, lowering her mouth to capture her progeny's. She successfully kicked off her shoes and she used her free hand to unbutton her own pants. Tara's hands moved to help her pull them off.

Tara pushed two of her fingers into Pam's slick cunt without hesitation. Pam moaned into her mouth. They fucked each other aggressively and they kissed each other forcefully. Pam slipped another finger into Tara's sex and pushed deeper. Tara moved the thumb of the hand that was now coated with Pam's fluids to her clit and she rubbed it gently and rhythmically. Pam shuddered over her and cried out. She gasped repeatedly as she rode Tara's hand, matching each thrust with one of her own. She stared down at Tara and Tara's eyes fluttered open to meet her gaze.

"All mine," Pam whispered between gasps. Tara smiled up at her.

"All your's," she breathed before crying out as Pam's thumb found her clit.

"_I love that_," Pam grinned down at her, her eyes narrowing wickedly.

Tara's pussy expanded slightly and then clamped down on Pam's pale fingers, and she bucked against her harder. Tara pressed her own thumb more firmly against Pam's swollen nub and Pam's eyes widened.

"Tara," she breathed as her own cunt tightened around Tara's fingers. she lowered her forehead down to press it against Tara's lightly. They held each other's eyes, relishing in each other's ecstasy, their lips meeting in soft kisses between gasps.

"You're," Tara whispered then, her quiet voice fighting to choke out her words, "You're...mine too, you know?" she finished. She could feel what Pam was feeling, every bit of it projecting into her. It emboldened her.

"_Apparently_," Pam drawled throatily, glaring at Tara. Tara beamed up at her, and she slipped another finger into Pam. Pam screamed, "Fuck! Oh fuck,"

Pam panted over her progeny and they quickened their thrusts, their ecstatic cries growing louder as they neared their climax. They were beside themselves with pleasure. The bond between them was completely open on both ends and they were overcome with the ensations that filled them. They could feel each other getting closer. Tara clawed into the flesh of Pam's back, holding her maker's body as closely as she could. Pam gripped at the flesh of Tara's neck and scalp. She lifted the younger woman's head up an inch, joining their mouths in a deep kiss.

They came together. Pam screamed into Tara's mouth as her back arched and her hips bucked wildly, her cunt clamping down firmly on Tara's hand and pouring warm liquid down her forearm. Tara's whole body tensed and shuddered. She choked a little before gasping as her body started rocking violently against Pam's hand. She released a cry and a gush of her own. They rocked against each other. Tara suckled Pam's lower lip as Pam breathed tiny cries onto her mouth.

It took minutes for the quaking to subside, each breath and shudder from one woman sending a jolt through the other's body. They slowly pulled their hands from each other's cunts, planting small kisses on the other's lips as they did. Pam stayed hovered over Tara, frozen and trembling. Their foreheads were still pressed together. Tara moved her hand up to Pam's face and she touched her cheek lightly. Her half lidded eyes took in every millimeter of her maker's face. She tucked a lock of thick blonde hair behind a pale ear and she smiled. Pam looked down at her, her eyes shining. She smiled, but she furrowed her brow a second later and proceeded to bury her head in the crook of Tara's neck.

"_Fuck you_," she groaned, hiding her face, "What the fuck are you doing to me?"

"I don't know, but let me," Tara whispered, "Just let me."

Pam rolled her eyes and she rolled off of Tara then, sighing deeply. Tara glanced over at her, a smirk on her lips. She sat up and reached down to unlace the boots that were still on her feet so that she might free herself of the jeans and underwear that were now bunched around her calves. She tossed it all aside and fell back onto the mattress, yawning.

"Sun's about up," she mumbled, turning to face Pam, who's belly was flat against the mattress and who's head rested on her crossed arms. Her expression grew troubled again. Tara could sense an immense amount of confusion through their bond, but she also felt a profound wave of affection and desire directed towards her. She wondered if Pam knew that she was still exposed emotionally, but she didn't ask. She just laid next to her and ran her fingers along her maker's cheek very lightly. Pam checked back in and met her gaze.

"I meant what I said," Pam told her, very seriously, "I need you to follow my lead. I can't have you going out there all half-cocked and retar..."

"I got it, Pam," Tara whispered, effectively shushing her maker long enough to place a soft kiss on her lips. Pam sighed.

"I should just command you to stay fucking put," she muttered.

"Yeah, well," Tara replied cockily, "I'm a resourceful motherfucker. I could figure my way around that."

"I know," Pam said, frowning. Tara yawned again. She snuggled into Pam, who wrapped her arms around her progeny's toned body and pulled her closer.

"Just think of all the fun we'll have, Pam," Tara said then, still half yawning and losing her battle with the day, "_Road head_," she murmured as she fell asleep.

The older vampire rolled her eyes, but a tiny grin formed on her lips a second later as she thoughtfully considered Tara's words. The grin turned into a wide bright smile, one that would have caused Tara's knees to buckle had she witnessed it. She relaxed against lover's body then, greedily breathing in the smell of her and letting it ease her into a deep slumber.

She awoke just before sunset, Tara still wrapped in her arms and fast asleep. Her dreams had been disturbing fractured images and faded, fuzzy versions of them still flashed in her mind. Eric bound in silver and screaming. Tara caged and starved, driven feral by her youth. Jessica lost to them and smiling wickedly at Bill's side. Colin drowning in a whirling pool of old black blood as Nora tried to reach for him unsuccessfully. She frowned as she recalled the images, but she refused to dwell on them. She sighed into Tara's hair and she let her eyes scan down the length of their bodies, which proved a much more pleasurable experience.

The memory of their morning came rushing back to her then. The earth shattering sex. Tara's question to her as they fucked each other desperately; an echo of Pam's earlier claim. Pam's reply.

She was Tara's as much as Tara was hers. That is what those words established. Pam wished for a moment that she could turn back time and undo it all; doubt, fear, and outright panic getting the better of her.

Tara whimpered then and her brow crinkled in her sleep. She looked pained and Pam felt as if she had been stabbed in the gut at the sight of it. She was having a bad dream, like she had most nights. Pam leaned in and kissed her forehead then without a thought. As she pulled her lips away she realized what she had just done. She realized that in that small expression of affection for the woman who slept in her arms, she was confirming the very thing that petrified her a second ago. In her desire to comfort and protect the woman who slept in her arms, instinctively and without the slightest bit of hesitation, she was confirming the words that a second ago she wished they had never spoken.

There was no unspeaking them. It was done. She was Tara's as much as Tara was hers.

"_What the fuck_?" she whispered, her eyes bewildered as she stared at her progeny.

Tara's eyes shot open then and she jerked her head up, jumping back an inch on the mattress. Pam felt the waking terror that had just assaulted her progeny and she sat up instantly and leaned in towards her.

"Tara," she said, her voice steady. Tara's wild eyes met hers. Her face was twisted in horror. Pam spoke again quietly, "Tara. Hey, shhh..."

She reached her hand to cup the younger woman's cheek and Tara relaxed into her touch, her eyelids fluttering closed.

"There you are," Pam murmured and smiled.

"Hey," Tara breathed, her eyes blinking open slowly, "Fuck. Sorry. Bad dream," she whispered, avoiding Pam's gaze. A bloody tear rolled down her smooth dark cheek. Another followed it a second later. Pam's thumb wiped the first one away while Tara's hand reached up to wipe away the other.

"Hey," Pam whispered. Tara looked up at her, her face and their bond betraying the fear that still lingered in her from the dream, and the embarrassment she felt at waking up thoroughly freaked out and in tears. Pam placed a tender kiss on her lips, "You're okay."

Tara's lower lip started to quiver, but she quickly settled it and started settling herself as her mind found its way out it's fog. Pam grinned. As a vampire Tara was just an infant and she was awake a little earlier than she would be normally.

"We should get up," Pam whispered then, but her body didn't move.

Tara groaned and frowned. She cuddled her naked body up against Pam's. She placed a small kiss on a pale clavicle and Pam sighed, welcoming her progeny back into her arms.

"Let's just stay. Let the world save its goddamn self," Tara murmured against Pam's neck.

"You _should_ stay, Tara," Pam sighed. Tara eyes shot up to meet hers and they narrowed viciously.

"Fuck that," she growled, "_Don't_. We settled it."

"Yeah. Just thought I'd...check. Real quick like," Pam quipped. She was glad to have gotten a bit of a rise out of her progeny, this dynamic one that she was far more comfortable with.

"Yeah well," Tara started, pulling her body away from Pam's then and rising to her feet angrily, "_Fuck_ that."

Pam sighed, pulling her knees to her naked chest and holding them against her. She watched as Tara reach for the bra and she had discarded the morning before, a frown firmly set on the smooth black flesh of her face. She tugged a pair heather gray cotton underwear on. She continued dressing without a word, slipping into a small, thin yellow t-shirt, the front of which was graced with a faded Bad Brains logo, before pulling on a pair of baggy black jeans. She reached into their bag for her black Chuck Taylor's and a pair socks and silently proceeded to put them on. She huffed then and she slowly glared over at Pam, who still sat naked on their bed studying her. Tara ripped her eyes away from the older woman's and she quietly reached for the unopened pack of cigarettes she had set on their nightstand the night before.

She slammed the top of the pack against the palm of her hand, directing her angry eyes back to meet Pam's stare.

Pam's eyes narrowed then. Tara flipped the pack over in her fingers and she leisurely opened it, unwrapping the cellophane in slow motion, knowing that every crinkle would effectively grate at each and every one of Pam's nerve endings. She felt each grate through their bond, Pam's end of it still exposed to her, much to Tara's surprise, and she relished in the sensation victoriously. She pulled the plastic from the box and theatrically crunched it into her hands before tossing it onto the floor.

"Fucking child," Pam snarled then loudly asshe rose to her feet and stomped off of the mattress. She aggressively rummaged through the contents of the duffel bag that held not nearly enough of none of her favorite things, looking for something to wear.

"Old enough to smoke this fucking cigarette," Tara muttered, tearing her eyes away from her maker and refocusing them on the water that crashed down onto the stone floor in the room opposite her. She lifted the cigarette to her lips and she smirked deviously as she lit the end of it and inhaled.

Pam ignored her. She pulled a pair of black lace panties on. Tara watched her dress in her periphery, refusing to look at her directly. Pam's plump breasts bounced a little as she shimmied a pair of tight leather pants around her hips. Tara couldn't help but sneak a glimpse at her maker then. A lump formed in her throat and throbbing wet arousal settled between her legs. A tiny growl escaped her as she ran her fingers through her messy black hair, casually pulling it into a loose ponytail and reaching into a side pocket in their bag for a tie to hold it back. She took another drag of her cigarette, inhaling deeply and desperately.

An evil grin formed on Pam's lips and she inwardly celebrated her own small victory. Tara rolled her eyes and rose to her feet then.

"You about ready?" she spat, annoyed at her maker and at her traitorous body.

"Do I _look_ ready?" Pam spat back. Tara huffed and plopped down onto the mattress again, "You in a hurry to go off and get yourself fucking killed?" Pam drawled icily as she hooked a black bra on and reached for a sleek, skin tight, long sleeved red top.

"No one's getting killed, Pam," Tara sighed. Pam chuckled sarcastically, shaking her head as she reached for her brush. She started running it through her blonde mane, pulling her thick hair into a tight ponytail.

"You're a fucking child," she muttered, frustrated and frowning.

"Yeah well, I'm _your_ fucking child. You're stuck with me. Best start getting used to the idea," Tara told her firmly.

Her eyes bore into Pam's then, effectively paralyzing her maker. Pam's eyes widened and all spite fell away from her face in an instant. Tara's insides were flooded by an intense wave of deep despair. Every part of her softened towards her maker immediately and she found herself overwhelmingly concerned.

"Pam?" she whispered.

"I..." Pam struggled to say the words, "I can't lose you."

Tara stared at her in shock, at a loss. They faced each other in silence for several moments. A tear fell from Pam's unblinking eyes and slowly rolled down her cheek. Tara found her voice then.

"I can't let you go alone," she said calmly, despite the cacophony of emotions that wrenched at her sensibilities. They were silent for another few moments before Pam sighed and quickly wiped the red tear away, pulling her eyes away from Tara's.

"Well," she drawled as she reached for a pair of red heeled black pumps, "Let's get this shit show on the road then."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: I don't own a damn thing from True Blood. I don't make a damn penny off this story. Don't sue me. KThanks!

**Author's Note**: Here is Chapter 10! Kinda wanted to jump into P and T's journey to Nawlins, but I just couldn't skip all this stuff :P. Action coming up next. Loads of action, so brace yourselves. Shit's getting real. PLEASE do review. I love them and live for them, haha. I'll try to get the next one up my the middle of this week, but no promises. A 50 hour work week at a brutal ass job awaits me, so If I don't find the time to write, y'all may have to wait until the weekend. I'll sure try though, haha. I love this stupid story. Okay! Enjoy! Review!

**Ch. 10**

"_Ugh_," Pam muttered as they neared the end of their tunnel and approached the main room, "It smells like dog. It smells like a lot of fucking dog."

"You're fucking racist, Pam," Tara whispered, shaking her head a little and chuckling under her breath.

"No. I hate most weres like I hate most humans; and vampires...and shifters and fairies. It's a well distributed loathing," Pam told her quietly, her nose crinkled and her eyes narrow as she looked towards the end of the tunnel.

"Ah," Tara whispered again, "Equal opportunity hate."

"Pretty much," Pam drawled, grinning back at her progeny. Tara chuckled again.

They crept onto the walkway that led down into the large cavern. The light in the space was much brighter and warmer than it had been when they'd left the night before.

The witches; Elaine, her quiet twin sister Eleanor, their tough wife Dolores, Carmen, Mercedes, the cheerful Tess, and the child Sylvia; all sat cross-legged, their bodies forming a circle in the center of the room. Their hands were linked together and their eyes were closed. They seemed to be completely detached from everything that surrounded them. Sylvia chanted the words from the incantation her father had written before he died. Her voice was strong and serious, despite its age and natural sweetness. A shining silver mist floated several feet above their heads, filling the air in the center of their circle. Sylvia's mother Lisa sat directly behind her child, her legs were also crossed and her hands rested on her knees, palms facing upward. She was in deep meditation.

Another group of witches sat in a circle to their left. There were five of them; two men and three women. Their heads were covered by hoods attached to long, thick woolen black cloaks, which pooled on the floor around their crossed legs. Their faces were mostly hidden from view. Their bodies were naked underneath their garb. They were all completely focused on quietly repeating the incantation that little Sylvia chanted. The same silver mist appeared above their covered heads in small formations every few seconds and floated away from then to join the larger cloud.

Colin sat at the bottom of the steps that descended into the space, his elbows braced on his knees and his chin resting on his entwined hands. He watched the witches intently and his expression was troubled. He held a bloodstained white handkerchief in his hands and faint tracks of dried blood colored the area just beneath his ears and down his neck. Eric stood leaning up against the stone wall to his right. He turned to look at Pam and Tara as they approached. His expression was grim. Pam met his gaze and she gave him a small nod before turning her attention to Colin, obvious concern settling on her face.

"Colin?" she called to him quietly, "You didn't sleep?"

He turned to look at her and smiled weakly.

"They are my family," he told her, "This has been taking a toll them," he paused and turned his attention back to the witches, his eyes focusing in on the little girl who led them, "She's_ tired_," he whispered.

"Sookie?" Tara asked Eric. He shook his head.

"Not yet. Colin said they almost had her the first time around, but," he paused before continuing, a grin teasing the corners of his mouth, "Someone sneezed."

"Dolores," Colin said, turning back to them. his weak smile warming, "She's already been thoroughly chastised by the rest of them."

"They tried again, but they were all exhausted at that point and decided to rest for a few hours. Eric continued, "This is their third attempt. They've been at it for nearly two hours now. I awoke to find them like this."

"They are getting close," Colin said before turning back to the witches.

Pam placed a hand his strong shoulder and she squeezed it. He lifted his own hand to meet hers and he held it firmly for several seconds before they both pulled away. Pam glanced over at Tara, who had watched their exchange. She smiled at her maker. Pam glared at the younger woman and looked away quickly. Tara's smile widened.

"I smelled wolves," Pam huffed.

"Yes," Colin nodded, "Brandon and Dinah are nearing with their pack. They should be here momentarily."

"They've brought phones that I will be sending with you and an extra car," Eric told her evenly, "You can go once we've retrieved them."

Tara gulped, the reality of what she and her maker were about to embark on slowly crept into her gut. Pam turned to her, an eyebrow arched and questioning.

"You can still..." Pam started, but Tara shook her head, her eyes hardening and her jaw jutting out stubbornly.

"Nope," she whispered. Pam rolled her eyes a little and turned back to Eric.

"You'll travel through Austin and Houston. You'll stop in Beaumont," he told her, handing her a map with a route drawn onto it.

Pam examined it closely. Tara inched up behind her, resting her hands on her maker's waist lightly and peering around her shoulder to get a look at the map. Pam's eyelids started to flutter at the sudden nearness of their bodies, but she quickly settled herself and hoped that Eric hadn't noticed.

He had. His eyes shone at her and she narrowed hers at him in turn.

"There will be a group meeting you there. They will go with you the rest of the way," Eric continued with a slight grin, "The New Orleans house,"

"The one on Esplanade?" Pam murmured absently, studying the name and phone number of the Beaumont contact he had given her.

"Yes," Eric answered her, "You will meet another contact there and travel with them to their headquarters. They have already been hard at work. They will brief you, but they've been instructed to follow your lead."

Pam nodded and sighed, folding the map and their contact's information into it, before turning to tuck it into a side pocket of the bag that Tara carried. She met the younger woman's for eyes a second as their faces nearly touched.

Tara gulped again, but not because of fear this time. She collected herself quickly as Pam turned to Eric again. She knelt down behind Colin who still watched his witches.

"I thought they had two covens coming?" Tara whispered to him. He nodded slightly.

"The second never showed and Dolores wasn't able to reach them again," he told her quietly, "The perimeter is being patrolled. I fear they were intercepted."

"Did they know anything?" Tara asked him then, frowning.

"No, sister. We call. They come. Vice versa," Colin told her, turning to look at her. He smiled when he met her fierce dark eyes, "I wish we would have had more time to get acquainted, Tara. I trust that our maker will keep you safe, however. She likes you. There was a time when I would have been envious," he paused, his eyes clouding over as memories returned to him that he had not thought of in quite some time. He sighed then.

"And now," Tara asked him a little reluctantly. She wasn't sure that she would like his answer, but his smiled widened at her.

"And now," Colin said before taking a second to consider his next words. He leaned his head in to whisper into Tara's ear, "I'm relieved. I've worried about her. I'm incredibly curious about this person that she has claimed as her..._treasure_," he continued. Tara dropped her eyes to the floor at his last word, not truly believing that she could mean that much to anyone, despite everything she had experienced in the last few days. Colin continued, "I'm mostly hoping that she doesn't fuck it up._ Don't let her_. She deserves to be cherished."

He pulled his lips back from her ear and locked eyes with her then.

"Maybe one day when this nightmare passes we'll find each other again, sweet sister. We could...hang out? I could ask Sylvia to do Kung Fu for us, it's immensely entertaining," he told her, his eyes sparkling with genuine delight.

"Maybe, brother," she whispered into his ear then, placing her hand on the shoulder that Pam's had just recently graced.

They watched the witches silently for several seconds, Tara's hand on Colin's shoulder and his gripping the cloth that was covered in his blood. Pam looked down at them. While her expression remain composed, her eyes warmed. While she was sure that their brilliance as vampires had very little to do with her own blood, and everything to do with the bit of Godric's she had given them...the bit of Eric's; she couldn't help the pride that flowed through her.

Eric watched Pam as she stared down at her progeny. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders then and pulled her lean body into his. She let him, having missed him every day and painfully since the bond that had existed between them for over a century had been severed. She leaned into his chest and he whispered in his mother tongue.

"_Stay safe_, _my child_," he ordered her gently.

Pam nodded and rested a hand on his chest. She slowly pulled away from him after a few silent moments. Her eyes met his firmly.

"You too," she told him quietly, "Guard that girl."

He nodded and raised his eyes to look up at the girl in question. Jessica sleepily plodded down the steps towards them. She stopped just before completing her approach. Fours sets of eyes turned to look at her.

"Um...hey y'all," she muttered, awkwardly, feeling as though she had intruded on an intimate family moment.

"Good evening, Jessica," Eric greeted her calmly, "Would you be so kind as to run and wake my sister?"

"Oh, um...yeah. Sure thing," Jessica nodded, turning to head back up the stairs and towards the tunnel that led to Nora's sleeping quarters.

The rest of them turned their eyes back towards the main room. Brandon was slowly emerging from the area behind the thrones. Dinah appeared behind him and several bodies stood behind her, waiting to be led into the space. Dinah turned to them and silently signaled for them to stay as quiet as possible. They made their way towards the vampires, hugging the wall just beneath the walkway.

Colin rose to his feet to greet the wolf pack. There were eleven of them besides Brandon and Dinah, and all of them were black or dark brown. There was one child at the rear of the group a young girl who looked to be about nine or ten years old. She was watching the witches closely, her wide eyes scanning the women in the circle, eventually focusing on little Sylvia. The rest of them, six men and four women, stared at the vampires, their expressions vicious.

Colin nodded to Brandon quickly. He extended his hand past him to the group's leader.

"Joshua," Colin smiled at the older man who took his hand after a moment's contemplation, "Thank you for coming."

"My kids have filled me in. We brought what was asked of us. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you bloodsuckers have gone and..." he started, growling quietly, but he paused, checking his temper, "Well, as long as you lot are working to get make it right."

"They are, papa," Dinah assured him, taking his hand in hers and holding it tightly.

"Right, well," he started, turning to a young man who stood at his right. The boy was no more than seventeen years old and a younger, skinnier, much more pleasant looking version of Brandon, "Gimme them keys, son...and the case."

The young man reached into his pocket and he pulled out a pair of keys hanging on a rabbit's foot chain. He handed them to his father along with a hard metallic briefcase. Joshua gave the keys to Colin before opening the case against his belly.

"There's four phones. Just phones, none a' that frilly smart crap. My boy went ahead and set numbers into the speed dials in each. Once you get above ground you'll be able to use 'em," Joshua informed them.

He handed the phones to Colin, who passed them off to Eric. Eric handed one to Pam and one to Tara. He kept the other two.

"I called your buddy in Beaumont. They're just waiting on whoever's meeting 'em and trying not to die. They sounded..._stressed_. It's rough out there," Joshua told them flatly.

"Thank you, sir," Eric said, looking over at the old wolf as he took the keys from Colin and handed them off to Pam. He looked back to Joshua then, "The car?"

"Back yonder," he told her, gesturing towards the opening in the stone from which his group had just come, "We got it in the barrier, so y'all can get to it easy enough. I'd try getting out through the north before you head on east. Be ready for a fight."

"I'm _always _ready for a fight," Pam purred at him, her eyes hard.

"That's nice. Try to bring the car back in one piece," Joshua grumbled, unimpressed with her, "Forgot to tell the ole' lady I was borrowing it for awhile."

"LoJack?" Tara asked him, arching an eyebrow.

"Nope," Joshua answered her quickly, smirking, "Changed the tags."

"I'll see what I can do," Pam drawled, grinning back at him.

Jessica and Nora emerged from Nora's tunnel then, Jessica looking shaken and Nora incredibly annoyed. Eric met the younger vampires eyes and she glared at him.

"You. Owe. Me," she mouthed silently. He grinned at her.

Nora stepped towards Eric. She lazily ran a hand through her brown hair and tried to straighten the clothes she had thrown on hurriedly as Jessica waited for her.

"The fairy?" she mumbled at her brother.

As the last syllable left her mouth, a loud crack echoed through the chamber from the area where the witches had positioned themselves. All eyes turned towards them. The thin silver mist that had collected over their heads morphed into a small pink ball of light, which grew bigger exponentially every millisecond that passed, until it blinded every eye in the space. The witches were quiet then, all of them squintily gawking up at the thing they had manifested.

A small blonde body fell from it onto the rug covered stone floor at the center of the larger circle. The light immediately disappeared.

Sookie shot up to her feet a second later, on guard and ready to defend herself, not knowing where she was or why.

She had felt the witches summons on and off over the last several hours and she had spent a large portion of that time trying to figure out if their's was a friendly call. Claude was eventually able to assure her that those summoning her meant her no harm, better able to tune into the energy behind the call, but after everything she had been through in the last few years, she was reluctant to trust trust it. Sheer dumb curiosity and the fact that she knew that her fairy friend would rush to retrieve her if she found herself in danger were what finally convinced her to go towards it.

She looked around her, meeting strange wide eyes at every turn, before she found familiar faces staring down at her from the walk way.

"Eric," she breathed stepping towards him immediately, through the witches who still sat on the ground and in her way, but who's hands separated to allow her a small path towards the Viking.

She rushed into his arms and he practically lifted her off her feet. Their mouths met in a passionate kiss, their longing and worry for each other over the last two days palpable and emanating towards their onlookers unrelentingly. Most turned away, or looked down to the floor, allowing them what little privacy they could offer given the situation.

Nora looked...pained.

Jessica beamed at them shamelessly.

Pam just rolled her eyes.

"Aaand that's my cue," she drawled, turning to Tara, "You ready?"

"Yeah," Tara nodded at her hesitantly, looking over at her former best friend and really wanting to say something to her before she left, but not quite finding the words, or an opportunity.

Jessica's smile faded and she turned to Tara. She moved towards her immediately and she captured her unsuspecting fellow baby vampire in her arms. Tara stumbled a little, surprised, but she instantly returned her young friend's forceful embrace.

"Be careful," Jessica whispered in her friend's ear urgently, hugging her tightly. Tara nodded, her expression growing serious.

"You too. Watch your back," Tara told her. Jessica loosened her hold and she quickly turned to Pam.

Jessica wrapped her arms around the older woman before she could protest. Her bright blue eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall at any moment. She sniffed. Pam held her arms out awkwardly for a moment before slowly wrapping them around Jessica, one hand patting the her thick red hair for a just a second before she pried their bodies apart. She grabbed Jessica's upper arms and held her in place a few inches away. She stared at the teenagers face for several silent beats before she released her and turned to leave, Tara at her heels.

Pam hadn't said a word and her face betrayed nothing, but Tara could feel her maker's grief through their bond. Pam glanced at Colin briefly as she walked through the cavern. He had moved towards the witches and was standing at Sylvia's side now, his hand petting her head as she celebrated her successful incantation with the women who still sat at either side of her. Colin caught her glance and he nodded at her slightly, silently wishing her well. She kept on walking past him, lowering her eyes.

Jessica's tears fell as she watched them leave. She turned away from the remainder of the group and hid her face.

Eric and Sookie's lips parted slowly. They gazed into each other's eyes, lost in each other for several moments, before Sookie noticed in her periphery that Tara was leaving. She turned to look at her then; the best friend who had saved her life twice; the best friend who had died for her. Her mouth hung open for a second, but it made no noise.

"Tara?" she choked out finally. Tara paused and turned to face her immediately. A sad smile formed on her dark lips.

Pam stopped in front of her, looking straight ahead, half expecting Tara to change her mind and stay now that the girl she had grown up with, the girl she had given her human life for, was acknowledging her.

"We have to go, Sook," Tara told the halfling quietly, before gesturing towards Eric with her chin, "He'll fill you in."

She turned back towards her maker then and they walked towards the thrones. Tara rested her hand on the small of Pam's back as they disappeared into the hidden tunnel.

Sookie watched them leave. She turned to face Eric.

"I...?" she stuttered, "What's going on?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** See chapters 1-10 ;).

**Author's Note: **Y'all are wonderful and your reviews are brilliant and inspirational. Not much else to say today. Tired beyond words, but wanted to be sure to update before tomorrow, the last day of the monster work week from hell, finally takes it all out of me, haha. Enjoy! Review! Brush your teeth...it's the law.

**Ch. 11**

The two women walked down the dark tunnel for fifteen minutes, following the scent the werewolf pack had left in its wake. They did not speak as they made their way through the tight passageway, both still reeling from the goodbyes they had just said.

When they finally reached the end of the they squeezed through an opening and into a tiny circular cave which was lit by a single torch that hung from the stone wall. In it stood a sleek black desk. A laptop computer that was closed and powered off, a blank pad of paper, and a ball point pen rested on top of it. A gas powered generator sat dormant to its right.

A rope ladder hung down into the small space from a hole in the center of the ceiling. Pam glared and huffed before sulkily moving towards it.

"Never ending fucking obstacle course from _hell_," she snapped as she started climbing.

"It has it's perks," Tara told her, grinning up at her maker's ass as she followed the older vampire up the shaky ladder.

"Well aren't you a shining beacon of positivity and political correctness this evening," Pam drawled down to her progeny, irritated.

She looked up again, hoping to get a sense of how much further they had to climb. They could have sped up the ladder quickly and with ease, but she had no idea what awaited them at the top, and as such she took her time.

"What can I say? I've had really fantastic sex recently. The kind that changes a person's outlook on life," Tara purred, smirking. Pam laughed heartily in response, surprised at Tara's forwardness in that moment and actually delighted with it, despite her irritation.

"Yeah well, I've have the kind of sex that really makes me want to say 'Fuck it. Let's just keep having sex'," Pam murmured back down to her, a wicked grin on her plush pink lips.

"You still can," Tara teased as they started climbing again a second later, arching a dark eyebrow at the woman above her.

"Oh...but the _world_," Pam groaned, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"The view from where I'm, uh...swinging, is making that shit less of an issue as the seconds tick on by, Pamela," Tara said firmly, her voice very effectively conveying the arousal that now coursed through her body.

Pam stopped climbing at the sound of her full name escaping Tara's lips for the first time. It sent a jolt through her which settled in her chest and in between her legs, and pulsed in both places. As particular as she had always been about anyone using her full name, in that moment she felt as if she could die a true death happily, having heard it formed seductively on Tara's tongue and lips.

She turned her gaze downward to meet her progeny's eyes. They shone up at her aflame with desire for the woman who's backside had been taunting her for torturous minutes.

A second of eye contact was all it took to compel Tara to speed up the ladder in a flash. She still clung to it, but her arms reached around her maker's lower half then, and her face was level with Pam's hips. She bent her head down until her mouth reached a leather clad cheek and she bit into it with her flat front teeth forcefully, causing Pam to moan quietly and grip at the rope in her hands. Tara kissed the spot then. She proceeded to plant slow kisses on her maker, moving upward along the small of Pam's back, lifting the older woman's shirt up with her teeth and letting her tongue linger there, massaging the area lightly for a moment, before she finally moved her mouth to Pam's hip. She bit down on the flesh there too and Pam gasped.

"_Fuck_," Tara groaned, shaking her head a little and nuzzling her nose into the area her teeth had just claimed.

"Yeah," Pam choked in response, trying not to concern herself with the warmth that pooled between her legs and the throbbing need that accompanied it. She chastised herself inwardly for her lack on control and focus.

Tara shook her head again and chuckled quietly.

"We should go," she muttered, half-heartedly.

"Right. The _fucking world_," Pam sighed.

Neither of them moved or said anything for several moments, but Pam finally started up the ladder and away from Tara again, very intentionally swaying her hips so that her ass grazed Tara's face very lightly as she moved. Tara glared up at her.

"Oh you just wait," she warned, following her maker's lead when Pam was far enough above her now for her to continue up the ladder easily.

"Mmmm...for what, Tara Mae?" Pam murmured down to her. The sound of her menacingly sweet voice caused Tara's eyelids to flutter and her knuckles to tighten their grip around the rope.

"Down time, devil woman," Tara growled up at her.

"Check the insults, girl. You started this," Pam told her, one brow arched and warning, but a bright hint of amusement flickering in her eye.

"Oh that wasn't an insult. Believe me," Tara replied, grinning up at her maker.

They climbed in silence for several more minutes. When they finally reached the top, Pam slowly crept through a hole in the floor of another rock enclosure, scanning the area for any threats as she did. Seeing nothing that would warrant any alarm, she turned and bent down to offer Tara a hand. The younger woman took it and completed her ascent. She quickly looked around the space then too and her dark eyes instantly focused on the vehicle that sat in the center of the cave waiting for them.

It was a 1973 silver Camaro with black racing stripes that ran along the hood and the top of it.

Tara gawked.

"Bitchin'...Camaro," she whispered as a bright smile took over her face. She collected herself quickly and turned to Pam, her eyes wide and pleading, "Can I...?

Pam didn't hesitate to toss the keys at her as she made her way towards the car. She pulled the driver's side door open and popped open the trunk before moving to the rear of the car to inspect its contents. She smirked.

The wolf pack had brought them a small arsenal. While she was sure their favor was inspired by a morbidly passive aggressive desire on their part to have Pam and Tara exterminate as many of their own vampire kind as possible, she couldn't help the swell of deep appreciation that she felt at the sight of the weaponry. Four high powered shotguns, two sniper rifles, six glocks, several canisters of silver spray, dozens of wooden stakes, a large spool of think silver chain, silver throwing knives, a crossbow, and a variety of dozens of boxes of ammunition were at their disposal. Tara quietly crept up behind her.

"_Dang_," she said, drawing the word out, "Dibs on the crossbow."

Pam pulled a pistol and a box of bullets from the trunk and she turned around. She placed a soft kiss on Tara's lips before quickly moving to the passenger's side of the vehicle and climbing in. Tara stood frozen in place for a moment, shocked by the tenderness with which Pam had just acted.

She shook it off and reached for the crossbow and an accompanying pack of arrows, as well as one of the pistols. She tossed the duffel bag she had carried from Colin's lair on top of the weapons, sure to grab the map that had been tucked into the side pocket of it, and she slammed the trunk closed before she moved towards the driver's side of the car. She settled herself behind the wheel.

Pam watched her progeny intently as she climbed in. Tara squeezed her new toy into the space on the floorboard between her left leg and the door, and she wedged the pistol under her other leg. Tara met Pam's stare then and smiled awkwardly.

"Hey. Where to?" she asked quietly, handing Pam the folded map, which she placed in the glove compartment for safe-keeping.

Pam arched an eyebrow and nudged her head towards the dash where a napkin with words and an arrow scratched onto it had been left for them.

_Go that way_, it read. The arrow pointed forward.

"Well okay then," Tara chuckled, buckling her seatbelt. She turned to Pam and gestured towards the passenger's seatbelt. Pam smirked at her.

"I'm already dead," she reminded her progeny.

"Oh. Right," Tara whispered as she unbuckled her seatbelt theatrically, and moved to put the car's keys into the ignition.

She cranked it and it started with a quick roar followed by a quiet purr.

"I really don't think his lady is gonna be getting her car back," she murmured as the fingers of one hand gripped the leather bound steering wheel and the other put the car into gear.

"What car?" Pam asked playfully, batting her long eyelashes at Tara.

Tara knew it then.

She loved her.

She was overcome with it as she gazed back at Pam, who grinned at her wickedly, ready to take on the world by her side.

Tara loved her fiercely, like she never imagined possible. What she felt in that moment was more powerful than anything she had ever experienced in her life or her afterlife thus far.

She wanted to kiss her, right then and there. She wanted to fuck her, right then and there.

She wanted to nurse hurts that she figured Pam would suffer in the near future, though they hadn't happened yet. She wanted to horrify, brutalize, and fucking ferociously terminate whoever dare inflict those hurts, though they hadn't done anything yet. She wanted to hunt down and implement the same course of action to anyone who may have ever hurt her maker in the past. If they were dead she wanted to bring them back to life just so that she could hurt them, kill them, and make a messy display of their corpses in the name of her love.

She wanted to fight with her and run away with her. She wanted to hold her. She felt it all in her chest and in her gut; in her hair and in her toes; and she unknowingly projected it, in all of its intensity, to the other woman in thick and forceful waves.

Every inch of Pam felt it then too. It crashed into her. Her grin faded and she had to rip her eyes away from Tara's. She refocused them on her pale fingers which had started fidgeting. She had to stop herself from wailing and cowering like a frightened child. She was overwhelmed, completely terrified by what her progeny exuded in that moment.

Tara suddenly felt Pam's fear and her confusion; her panic and insecurity. They all ran deep. She realized then that their bond had exposed her, and she was instantly and painfully mortified.

"Shit," she hissed, dropping her eyes to her lap immediately.

"I..." Pam started, though she had no idea what she should said. Tara cut her off.

"You don't have to say anything," she told her curtly, raising her eyes to look straight ahead, frowning, embarrassed, and trying desperately to reign in her emotions. She only managed to a little, but it was enough to provide them with enough relief to redirect their attention to the task at hand.

Neither said anything for several moments, but eventually Tara sighed and gripped the steering wheel again.

"So...going that way," Tara muttered weakly, lifting her index finger from the steering wheel and pointing it forward.

"Right," Pam choked pitifully, moving her eyes upwards to look directly ahead of them.

Tara started driving, smoothly maneuvering the Camaro through the enormous tunnel. She drove for about five minutes before they saw a hint of moonlight and for another five before the outside world appeared to them for the first time in two days.

Pam snuggled into the passenger's seat, sighing in relief at being freed from the cavern. She relaxed, reveling in the feeling of the wind from her open window blowing over her face. Tara sped upwards along a rocky hill and then raced across an open and expansive grassy field, pushing the powerful car and relishing in the feel of it under her for fifteen minutes before they came to a dirt road. She slowed the car to a stop.

"North?" Tara asked Pam then, peering out the windshield. Pam nodded to their left.

"North, North-east," she answered quietly.

Tara turned the car left and they drove along the dusty road for over a half hour, still protected by the witches' barrier spell. When they finally crossed its borders they both felt the change. A fraction of the terror that had taken over the world crept into their stomachs, nauseating them. The air smelled like sick blood, sour and metallic.

"The fuck...?" Tara breathed, her eyes wide and horrified. She turned to Pam, "Pam?"

"I know," she whispered, her own eyes wide then too as turned to face her distraught companion, "We..."

She saw a figure in the distance, through the driver's side window, and her voice caught in her throat. It was rushing towards them.

"Tara. Drive faster," Pam commanded, her voice steady.

Tara increased the speed at which she drove significantly and instantly. She cemented her eyes to the road, not having seen what Pam had, but trusting her maker's tone.

Pam grabbed the pistol she had retrieved from the trunk. She raised it and she aimed at the creature who was nearing them now, racing towards Tara's side of the car at a speed that could only mean that he was a vampire, one much older than either of them. Pam smirked confidently as she aimed. She was an excellent shot and age mattered little when silver-tipped wooden bullets were brought into the mix.

With one squeeze of the trigger and a loud bang, which rang in her and Tara's ears for several moments afterwards, she killed the vampire as he neared the car, just two feet away at that point. His body exploded into the air, a bloody combination of chunks and viscous fluid, a few globs of which spattered onto the left side of Tara's face.

They were afforded no time to celebrate the kill. As soon as Tara felt the bloody goo hit her cheek, another vampire appeared on the dirt road just several yards ahead of them, bathed in the glow of their headlights.

"Motherfuck!" Tara yelled, her eye's narrowing and her brow crinkling with rage.

"Fucking ram him," Pam ordered her progeny, her voice seemingly made of steel then.

"Fucking gonna!" Tara sang back at her, flattening her foot against the gas pedal, and barreling towards the vampire.

He anticipated their move, however, and he hurled himself onto the hood of the car when it reached him. He growled at them, his fangs bared and his finger nails clawing at the metal in an attempt to hold on. He quickly crawled up along the passenger's side of the vehicle, nearing Pam's window and grasping for the edge of it.

He started to pull his top half into the open window. Pam shot him straight through the forehead without a thought or a moment's hesitation. His head flew back and one arm lost hold of the car. She saw her opening then. She aimed and pierced his heart with another wooded bullet. His body splashed into sloppy, bloody mess which painted the side of the car, a small portion of his remains splattering over Pam's neck and torso.

They heard a loud thump from the roof of the car then. Pam crawled up through her window immediately, prepared to face off with yet another vampire.

"Pam?!" Tara yelled up at her angrily.

"Fucking drive!" Pam yelled back, before looking up to the roof, where a pale young girl, maybe thirteen years old, glared back at her.

She was a newborn, just turned. Her eyes were wild and scared. She launched her body towards Pam's head, her fangs out and aching for a kill. Pam effortlessly grabbed her by her long brown hair. Doing what she could to steady herself with the strength of her long legs, as half of her body hung out of the speeding car, she jerked the girl's head back, exposing her torso. She pressed the end of the gun against the girl's heart.

"Sorry, little one," she purred before pulling the trigger.

The remnants of the child that were not instantly yanked away by the wind splashed onto her face and Pam grimaced. She slowly eased her way back onto her seat then, and as she tried to wipe red gunk off of her face, she looked around the car for anyone else who had not yet made themselves known. There was no one.

Before letting herself settle, Pam reached for the mobile phone she had set down on the console between her seat and Tara's. She texted the first number on the speed dial, her fingers a blur.

_Above ground yet? Armed? _

She gripped the phone in her hand and waited for a response as Tara drove. Tara looked over at her every few seconds, on edge, her eye's searching her maker's face for...anything.

The phone chirped in Pam's hand and she looked down at the screen.

_Yes._

Pam sighed quietly in relief as she typed out another message.

_Good. We're out. I'll check in when we get to Beaumont. Also, Beaumont...seriously?_

She set down the phone and she tried to relax into her seat, resting her gun within quick reach on the top of her thigh. The phone chirped again and she grabbed it.

_It's on the way ;). _

She frowned at it before typing out a quick response.

_It's a shithole. Stay safe. _

She set the phone down again.

"Eric?" Tara asked her quietly.

"Yeah," Pam answered, looking a the road ahead of them, "They've left."

"They're armed?" Tara asked then.

"They are," Pam replied, grinning slightly, unable to hide her appreciation for the way Tara's mind worked.

She looked over at her progeny. Tara's eyes were fixed on the road. Pam let herself stare for a moment, but she quickly looked away when Tara turned to glance at her again. She reached into the glove compartment and pulled out the map that Eric had given her earlier. She studied it for a minute before turning back to Tara, all business.

"We should be coming up on Highway 290 sometime soon. East from there to Austin," she instructed the younger woman, who nodded absently and who's face looked distressed.

"Right. Got it," Tara muttered back to her, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Tara?" Pam whispered.

Tara turned to face her, meeting Pam's blue gray eyes with her own dark brown ones, which were full of remorse and quite a bit of pain.

"I..." Tara started, not entirely sure of what she should say, "Nothing. I'm okay," she finished, lying.

She forced a weak smile onto her face.

The fact that she had been so exposed earlier was troubling her. The fact that Pam might be pressured to feel more than she could handle, or more than she would want to because of it, was troubling her. The fact that she had made herself vulnerable to whole lot of heartbreak, way before she expected that she would have to, was troubling her.

Tara knew Pam cared for her. She knew Pam desired her sexually, but she had no way of knowing if Pam loved her. She had no way of knowing if the older vampire was even capable of love, but she definitely did not seem open to the idea, and Tara respected that, having been wounded enough in her human life to be more than a little wary of matters of the heart.

She hadn't ever expected to feel as she felt now, but she couldn't help it. She didn't expect Pam to reciprocate. She was amazed at what she felt now, never having known anything like it before. She didn't expect Pam to fall in line, or to love her back.

She fully expected heartbreak to happen for her soon enough and she honestly believed her newfound sensibilities foolish; ridiculous even, considering everything else they had to contend with presently. The fact that she had bothered Pam with it; the fact that she had completely terrified the other woman; it was torturing her.

Pam watched as Tara inwardly processed her emotions, trying sort through and make sense of everything she felt. Tara was trying to keep her emotions in check and concealed from her maker, but she was not yet capable of successfully hiding much. Pam felt most of Tara's torment and it pained her. She was instantly overcome with guilt, thinking back to just an hour earlier and to her horror at having been flooded with Tara's feelings for her.

She had been caught off guard and quick to shut down. The loudest part of her mind told her not to succumb to it. It told her that she should blame everything that Tara had projected towards her in those few moments on the blood and the bond that the two of them shared as maker and progeny, but the quieter part of her brain whispered to her that doing so wouldn't get her very far. It reminded her that her experience with Colin served as proof to that fact.

The part of her mind that screamed wanted her to blame it all on the fact that the world could end at any given moment, and they were desperate for any inspiration that might give them a much needed edge, but the quieter part whispered then too. It reminded her that this...thing...between them had started before the world was put at such risk.

The part of her that screamed and raged told her that she could blame it all on any number of things, but she knew that it would all be bullshit. It told her that she should retreat into herself; that she should rebuild the walls that she had slowly and subconsciously started tearing down in the last few days, and that she should fortify them against any further intrusion, but she honestly didn't know if she could, and she realized right then that she really didn't want to.

It would be easier, but she didn't want to.

It would be safer, but she didn't want to.

She didn't want to, but she had been caught off guard. She had never thought to prepare herself for the possibility of such a thing. She always figured that what she felt for Eric was as good as feeling could get; as deep as it could get, and as intense. She had been content with that notion. She adored Eric. She worshiped him as a daughter worships her loving father; as a little sister worships her perfect big brother; as a queer sex worker worships the first john to ever truly show her respect. She knew that Eric adored her too, but what she felt for him and what he felt for her in turn, as genuine and as comforting as it was, its magnitude _paled_ in comparison to this other...thing.

She was fucked and she decided right then to accept that fact. She was still immensely afraid, but also thoroughly intoxicated.

She had been lost in thought for several moments, but she checked back in and looked up at her progeny's face. Tara glanced over at her, feeling her maker's gaze as if it were a living thing that caressed every inch of her lightly.

Neither of them said anything and Tara looked away, refocusing her eyes on the road.

"I'm sorry," she whispered finally, her shoulders slumping, defeated, "Earlier. I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry. I just...I'm sor..."

Pam leaned in and kissed Tara's cheek then. She breathed in the younger woman's scent hungrily and she kissed her again, repeatedly, letting small soft kisses trail down her face and to her neck, were she nipped and suckled at the flesh there. Her left hand rested on Tara's thigh and her right hand inched up Tara's body and stopped at her mouth as Pam slowly turned into her. It's thumb ran across Tara's lower lip, very gently.

"Don't be," she murmured to the younger woman.

"I'm..." Tara tried to continue, but her voice cracked as she struggled to contain a sob.

Pam placed another sweet kiss on her neck and she nibbled there. She ran her hand from Tara's mouth to the other side of her neck and she rested it at the base of the younger woman's skull. She massaged the tense area softly as she pulled her body closer and tightened her embrace, needing to be as near as possible to her progeny.

"Don't be," she murmured again, shaking her head slightly and burying it into the nook between Tara's neck and shoulder, "Please don't be sorry for that, my baby."

She let Tara feel what she felt then. All of it.

Under the paralyzing fear and the doubt; under the insecurity, and the disbelief...there was love. Over a century of love that Pam had buried away.

Love that was no one else's. Only Tara's.

Tara choked out the sob that that been trying to escape her for the last several moments. Red tears rolled down both of her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away with the back of her left hand, before she reached it to the nape of her neck where it found Pam's. They linked their fingers together.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of True Blood. I make no money off this piece of fiction. Don't sue me, you'd only end up sorely disappointed ;).

**Author's Note: **Haha, I had too much fun writing this one! I hope you all enjoy it, and sorry for the wait. Thank you so much for the kind reviews to the last chapter and for all the inspiration you've provided me with thus far! And don't stop ;). I'll be checking this one for any errors I missed in a bit, but I couldn't wait to post it. So sorry if y'all catch any before I do. The next one will be up tomorrow, maybe Monday. Cheers!

**Ch. 12**

"I need a...quick...break, Eric," Jessica huffed as she tried to keep up with the vampire who was a thousand times her age.

Eric slowed his pace and Jessica came to a stop behind him. They had departed the confines of the cave system walking, but as soon as the open air touched the cool skin of their faces, Eric ran, knowing that they still had most of their hundred miles to cover.

Jessica fell in line behind him, less than thrilled at the idea of rushing towards a near certain doom, but agreeable. After about twenty minutes, however, she needed to rest. They were running towards the horror that her maker had become this time, instead of away from it, and that fact made the task much more difficult for her.

"We're nearly there," Eric told her calmly as he stepped forward at a brisk pace.

Jessica was bent over, gripping her knees with the palms of her hands and trying to settle her heavy breathing. She rolled her eyes and with a deep sigh she started following him, her feet moving quickly, trying to catch up.

"_Awesome_," she whispered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

They walked together in silence for a few minutes, both sporting two high powered shotguns strapped to their backs and pairs of pistols holstered to both of their hips. Eric carried a small bag which held four wooden stakes. Jessica had two cannisters of silver spray hooked onto her black cargo pants.

They were ready for whatever met them outside of the barrier; as long as it wasn't Bill. Facing Bill Compton was a possibility they had both been trying to prepare themselves for internally, though neither quite knew how.

Jessica sighed again, troubled. The small frown that she had worn as they left the safety of Colin's lair was still firmly in place.

"Do you think Pam and Tara are okay?" she asked Eric quietly, glancing over at him.

"I heard from Pam while we ran. They met some...resistance...on their way out of the safe zone, but they managed," he answered her, his expression bored, "Pam will check in from Beaumont."

"Okay," she whispered, dropping her eyes to her feet as she walked.

They said nothing to each other for a few moments before Jessica spoke up again.

"Do you think Nora and Sookie have had any luck yet?" she asked him then.

"I don't know," Eric answered her curtly, his brow furrowing a little at her mention of Sookie, but only for a split second.

"Yeah," she sighed, "I mean...do you think it's even possible that they'll be able to reach that guy...Warlow?" she asked him, walking at his side now and trying to meet his icy gaze with her own.

"I don't know," he repeated quietly.

"Right," she muttered, dropping her eyes to the ground, "Well...do you...?"

"_Jessica_," Eric cut her off, annoyed now.

"_Don't Jessica me right __now!_" she spat viciously. She paused, collecting herself, "I mean...sorry. It's just, do you know how you want to, I don't know...do this? Like, when we get through the barrier? You haven't exactly told me how things are gonna be going down."

Eric sighed.

"I don't know how things will be_ going down_," he told her as stopped walking. He turned to face her, "From what the wolves have said and from what Dolores was able to gather before then, the area will be heavily patrolled, especially to the east, which is..."

"Where we're headin'," Jessica finished for him.

"Yes," Eric nodded, "We will have to fight our way through unknown numbers of vampires."

"And Bill," she whispered, meeting his gaze firmly.

"Possibly," Eric continued with a sigh, "When he senses you he might come if he considers claiming you worth the effort. He's still in there, somewhere, his rage at the loss of Sookie on this plane hinted at as much. We will just have to see."

"Okay. I guess," she muttered, her brow crinkling further then.

Eric waited for another word from her, but hearing nothing after a few moments he turned on his heel and continued walking.

"So," she blurted out then, causing him to stop and clench his jaw.

"Yes?" he growled.

"I mean, you won't just let him..." she continued, her voice cracking as thought of the possibility, "take me, will you?"

Eric sighed.

"No, Jessica," he told her, still facing away, "I won't."

...

The witches allowed themselves some time to rest and eat after having successfully delivered Sookie Stackhouse to Eric's clan. The Seven mingled with their cloaked guests and with the werewolf pack that had joined them not quite two hours earlier.

Sylvia was all smiles and giggles, excited to have finally perfected an incantation that her father had spent years developing before his death, and thrilled to have another child in her presence for the first time in months. She was in the process of explaining the spell, in detail, to the wolf cub who listened to her intently, eyes wide.

The other witches eventually resumed their positions on the floor, the members of her coven in the center of the room and their guests, the Children of the Waning Moon from Fredricksburg, reclaiming their positions to their host's left.

"Rana," Joshua called from the walkway to the little girl who sat on the throne platform next to the youngest witch, "Come here, child."

"Sylvia," Carmen called then too, "Whenever you're ready, darling."

Sylvia's eyes shot up and she smiled at her fellow witch. She rose to her feet and the other child followed suit. Sylvia turned and beamed over at her.

"Rana," she whispered, "I really like your name."

"Thanks," the other girl replied shyly, "It means lizard. 'Cause my momma said I looked like a squiggly little lizard when I came out of her."

Sylvia giggled.

"Lizards are cute," she whispered then as she gave her new friend a little wave and she move towards her circle.

Rana waved back and she stepped towards her pack, who had gathered on the steps of the walkway with Brandon and Dinah. Dinah extended an arm out to the girl and Rana stepped into it readily, welcoming her cousin's embrace. She admired Dinah immensely.

Colin and Nora walked down to the main room from the area behind Colin's throne, where they had been discussing specifics of their plan with Sookie. She followed them, looking terribly unimpressed with life in that moment. They stepped towards the circle where the host witches were settling themselves. Sookie moved into the center of it, her muscles incredibly tense.

"I still think this is a really bad idea, y'all," she muttered towards the to two vampires, "He killed my parents. He was cold about it too. He isn't going to help us."

"We will leave him little in the way of options, dear fairy," Colin said, his gaze towards her determined and serious, if a little hungry, "If we can reach him, from what you've told us, he will come to you. The witches can grab him and hold him."

"You're sure about that?" Sookie challenged him, raising an eyebrow at the vampire she had only just met, and at Nora, who she knew for sure wanted to eat her, " 'Cause it's sounding to me like this Warlow character is older than dirt, stronger than shit, and maybe in tune with some magic of his own."

"We aren't sure," Nora answered her honestly, "We aren't, but their power has kept us safe thus far. Their power brought you here."

Sookie's frown deepened and she crossed her arms at her chest, but she stayed in the center of the circle.

"Well, go on then. Let's get this over with," she muttered, kneeling before a small glass panel that sat on the ground and that had various materials spread out upon it.

Sylvia nestled herself into the small cushion she'd sat upon earlier. Her mother sat directly behind her, her fingers brushing through the little girl's long blonde hair. The child smiled up at Sookie before turning to either side of her to nod at her fellow witches. They all closed their eyes and bowed their heads slightly. They linked their hands together. Lisa quietly pulled her hands away from her child's mane and she rested them on her thighs. They all took a deep breath in, filling their lungs. They held the air in their chests for a moment, before slowly releasing it.

Sookie's body was immediately flooded by pure the electric energy they aimed towards her. It buzzed into her through every one of her pores. She gasped.

"Mother night and father day," Sylvia began. As she said her next words, the rest of the witches; the six others in her circle and the five who had come to help; all joined in, their collective voices echoing through the chamber.

"Mother moon and father sun; your children the stars; we beseech thee, empower us now, as you nurture us every day..." they chanted.

Sookie leaned forward and took a tiny glass bottle from the panel before her into her hand. She pulled a dropper from the top of it. It was filled with holy water. She squeezed seven drops of it into the center of the glass.

"Gods of old, hear us," the witches continued, "Bless us now, as you nurture us everyday..."

Sookie reached for another bottle, this one containing vampire blood; Colin's. She squeezed seven drops of it into the clear puddle she had created just a moment before and she set the bottle back down onto the glass. She reached her fingers towards a small pile of dried lavender. She sprinkled a small pinch of it onto her red puddle. The energy from the witches that coursed in and out of her warmed significantly.

"Gods of old, act upon our cries," the witches continued, "Your star child sits before us. Answer her plea..."

Sookie rolled her eyes at their words. She reached her hand towards another pile on the glass, and she grabbed a tiny pinch of ground snake scales. She sprinkled it onto her puddle and she spoke one word.

"Warlow," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

The muddy red puddle that she had created started to whirl slowly then. Thick black smoke rose from it in small puffs.

"Gods of old, hear us. You star child sits before us. Grant her this gift..."

"Warlow," Sookie whispered again, the warmth that rushed in and out of her causing sweat to form at her brow.

She focused on recalling what few images she had tucked away in her memory of her parents murderer; the last few seconds of her mom and dad's lives, from their killer's perspective; the scent of her own blood as it lingered into his nostrils from an old band aid he found in the back seat of their car; the obscure outline of his face in a misty gray cloud as it floated over her own, his mouth and his voice hissing out the words "You're mine".

She thought of only him as she reached for an ornate silver dagger that rested on the glass in front of her.

"Warlow," she said again, her voice louder, though shaking slightly.

She pricked her right index finger with the tip of the dagger and she squeezed a drop of her own blood into the concoction she had made. It stirred itself in front of her. It bubbled and it boiled. The smoke that had puffed from it poured up into the air now. It hovered over her head, a large, dense black cloud. The air in the room grew colder with every passing second.

The wolves and the two vampires in the cavern watched as the shape of man's body appeared in the smoke. It seemed to be struggling, as if trying to claw it's way out of whatever had it trapped in that moment. The witches hands were still linked together and their eyes were pressed shut. Their upper bodies rocked back and forth slightly and they were all murmuring now.

"Gods of old, act upon our cries," Sylvia repeated very quietly, her pale brow crinkling deeply and her little face glistening with perspiration.

The witches who sat in her circle and in the others who sat to their left quietly called out the names of various gods.

"Gaia. Pele. Nott. Hermes. Anansi," Dolores said, her face still as stone with the exception of her lips that moved a little with each name.

"Pan. Mithras. Hecate," Tess murmured.

"Mars. Freya. Anubis," Mercedes whispered next her, squeezing the hands of the women who sat on either side of her, as if she were in pain.

"Odin. Apollo. Bast. Artemis. Ganesha," Carmen chanted.

"Minerva. Aurora. Sirona," Eleanor whispered.

"Krishna. Demeter. Venus. Hathor. Zeus. ," Elaine murmured at her sister's side and gripping her palm tightly.

"Gods of old, act upon our cries," Sylvia repeated.

Her mother still sat behind her, silent and lost in her own meditation. A small smile graced her lips, as if she were gazing upon a lover who slept at her side.

The man's smoky figure slowly morphed into flesh and blood; hair and bone. He was naked. His skin was translucently pale. His hair was stark white and it fell to the middle of his back. His face was contorted, in excruciating pain. Deep set wrinkles that had developed before he was made vampire thousands of years before, at the age of fifty-three, stretched as he opened his mouth to scream.

"NO!" he bellowed.

Sookie stared up at him, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping open.

This was the vampire who had made her an orphan.

This was Warlow.

...

Nearly a hundred miles away, Eric stopped dead in his tracks. Sookie's terror stabbed him in the chest and it took every ounce of will power for him not to rush back to her.

Jessica turned to look at him, her eyes questioning.

"Eric?' she whispered.

"They found him," he told her quietly, "She's scared."

They didn't move for several seconds, but Jessica finally took a step towards Eric and she lifted a hand to gently squeeze his shoulder. They locked eyes.

"C'mon," she urged him, smiling sweetly, "They'll take care of her. We have our own monster to find."

Eric held her gaze for a moment, his eyes betraying his turmoil.

He nodded a moment later and they both started walking.

...

The two women drove in silence for over an hour, holding each other as much as the confines of the car would allow. Pam's face, still smeared with traces of the vampires she had killed earlier, was buried in the nook of Tara's shoulder. Tara kept one hand on the steering wheel, but she rested the other on Pam's forearm. They were met with no further trouble on their way into Austin, the capital of the state of Texas. According to Colin's friend, the sheriff of the area who had fled his post, overpowered and afraid, the city was burning.

Their bond was completely open and quiet whispers of love and desire, affection and contentment, floated back and forth between their bodies. They still hadn't talked about any of what had taken place between them, what had changed, in the last few hours. Neither woman much wanted to. They were satisfied in that moment with just being near each other, bathing in the warmth that they projected towards each other.

There was fear too; fear that lingered just under their content emotional surfaces. Fear that grew in its intensity as they neared their first Texas city, unsure of what would greet them there. Fear that something or some one would end them; fear that something or someone would end their lover.

There was fear on both their parts of the change that had taken place between them, and no small amount of insecurity and apprehension, but they tried with all of their combine might to not let those emotions pull them away from each other.

Pam tried with all her might to stay where she was; to not shut down. If they were going to die a true death at any point in the next few hours or the next few days, she wanted to relish in the feeling of her progeny next to her; the person who had effectively broken through the walls that she spent her whole human and vampire life cementing and solidifying. Walls that Eric, as much as she cherished him, had not been able to penetrate. Walls that he acknowledged, respected, and let be.

"Austin in a few," Tara whispered, squeezing Pam's arm lightly.

Pam sighed. She placed a small kiss on the flesh of Tara's neck as she pulled her head away. She slowly pried her arms back towards her own body and she settled into the passengers seat, grabbing her pistol and checking it's magazine before resting it on her thigh.

"Once we get through it's about three or four hours to Beaumont, depending on our speed," Pam told her progeny, suddenly serious, her eyes narrowing as she peered around the car.

Tara nodded. They said nothing for several moments. Austin's skyline appeared in the distance to the east. It was a small city, but the largest one Tara had ever seen. She studied the tiny lights that shone from the few tall buildings that still had power. Smoke did, in fact, float up into the air, and the sky above the city glowed a faint hint of orange.

"I guess that chickenshit sheriff wasn't exaggerating," Pam muttered.

"I guess not," Tara replied evenly, before breathing out a quiet chuckle.

"What?" Pam asked, tearing her eyes away from the ominous sight in front of them and arching an eyebrow as she refocused her gaze on her companion.

"Nothing. I just," Tara began, chuckling again awkwardly, "I don't know, it's kinda funny...and real fucked up," she continued.

"That's Austin up there. Austin, Texas. I've read about it. I've always want to visit. I've always wanted to...travel. Only been outside Louisiana one other time and that shit was," Tara paused, a hard lump forming in her throat, "It was a nightmare," she finished, her eyes darkening and the slight grin that had graced her lips a second earlier flattening as she remembered the trip to Mississippi that Franklin had forced upon her.

Pam felt the sudden onslaught of painful emotions that assaulted her progeny, as memories of the trauma she had endured drifted into her mind. Disgust. Shame. Anger.

A second later Tara buried them.

Pam stared at her, but she didn't ask questions. As much as she wanted to find out who had inspired such emotion in her progeny, she didn't ask questions. Pam knew Tara had been through hell in her human life. Every aspect of Tara's being screamed that she was a survivor. Her mother had been a hateful and abusive bitch to her throughout her life. Tara had lost loved ones. She had been witness to multiple atrocities as a citizen of Bon Temps, and as Sookie Stackhouse's closest friend. The town and the person both seemed to invite and nurture atrocity.

Pam herself had even made a special point of terrorizing Tara when she was human, zeroing in on her irrationally as the target of her of blame for the disfigurement that Marnie had inflicted on her, and for the loss of her maker's memory. Pam acknowledged that chapter of their history together and her actions for what they were; desperate. While she didn't beat herself up for them, she wasn't proud of how she had been, or of what she had said and done to the person she had come to treasure above anything, or anyone, else.

She remember Tara waking up next to her earlier that night, and she remember Tara waking up next to her the evening before. She remembered how she jerked and jolted and wept in fear. The young woman dreamed terrible dreams, but Pam knew that even an innocent and naive mind can create horrors while sleeping; horrors that can serve as warnings, or as means of processing uncomfortable situations. She hadn't thought to dig for more information on what plagued her progeny. It had come as no surprise to Pam that Tara's dreamworld was an unfriendly place.

The type of trauma that would spur the sort of emotional reaction that she had just experienced from Tara in waking life, however; it was different.

It suggested torture.

It suggested sexual violation and a complete loss of control of one's body.

While Pam was far removed from that type of trauma in her own life and in her mind, she was no stranger to it.

Pam was, very seriously, about to put their mission and everything else in the world on hold, so that she could see to it that whoever was to blame for what Tara had just projected towards her suffered. Immensely.

Tara felt the rage; the vicious possessiveness and the protectiveness that flowed through her maker then. The manic bloodlust. She glanced over at Pam, a sad smile forming on her lips.

"He...he's already dead," she mumbled.

Pam stared back at her. Her eyes were filled with fury, but also with immense amounts of compassion and care. She just stared for several seconds, not saying a word. The intensity of her gaze caused Tara to squirm a little in her seat, her eyes widening slightly as the watched the road ahead of them and the skyline that grew closer with every mile they crossed.

"Did he have any family? Any blood?" Pam asked then, her voice a quiet growl.

If she couldn't kill him she would kill whatever trace of him remained on the planet. Tara shook her head quickly.

"I don't think so," she answered.

Pam kept staring, disappointment clouding her features.

"That's a damn shame," she drawled, finally ripping her eyes away from her progeny's face, "I would have _thoroughly_ enjoyed massacring them."

Tara laughed lightly. She appreciated Pam's sentiments. Were her maker given the opportunity to live out her wish, Tara would happily cheer her on. She would join in even, but as far as she knew Franklin had no one. He'd meant for her to be his someone.

"Where all have you wanted to go, Tara?" Pam asked her calmly after a few minutes of silence had passed, glancing over at her progeny before turning back to the road.

"Sorry?" Tara asked, not quite understanding her maker's question. She was stuck in her head, feeling incredibly guilty for the tension that had developed between them because of her memories and the emotional response they had triggered in her.

"You said you've wanted to travel," Pam clarified, "Where all have you wanted to go?"

"I dunno," Tara whispered, furrowing her brow as she considered the question.

"Everywhere," she breathed then, smiling slightly, her eyes fixed on the road, "Texas. Tibet. Brazil. Ooh, or Greenland. Greenland looks like it has good snow. I've never seen snow," she finished with a chuckle.

"We'll have to go somewhere," Pam murmured, turning to look over at Tara again, her expression even, but her blue-gray eyes warm. She knew it was not the time for her to be making promises she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep, but she couldn't help herself, "When this is all over. I'll take you somewhere. Somewhere far away."

"I'd like that," Tara whispered shyly.

"We'll steal Eric's jet," Pam purred, her eyes twinkling as she inched her body towards Tara's, her lips meeting the flesh just under Tara's right ear. She kissed the soft, dark skin, "He owes us a vacation, at the very least."

Tara laughed freely and openly.

Pam had to fight back a tear at the sound of it.

The tension in the car fizzled away. Pam settled back into her seat reluctantly, aching for Tara's touch, but knowing that they needed to stay alert. Both women watched the road in silence as as they continued speeding down it.

They were in Austin now.

The images that greeted them at the southern end of the city were disheartening. It was practically in ruins. They passed banks, fast food restaurants, strip centers and apartment buildings that were charred. Windows were smashed and roads were littered with trash. Bodies lay dead in the city streets, in parking lots, and on sidewalks. They passed hundreds of cars that had been abandoned on Highway 290. Tara maneuvered the Camaro around them easily.

This had all happened in two days time. That was the power that the newly risen vampire deity emitted onto the world through her vessel, Bill Compton. Colin had told them that American police and military forces had been activated as the level of terror that swept the nation intensified, but the vampires saw no sign of them. The only thing that resembled life in Austin was the smoke that floated into the sky above the city and the fire that still burned in several areas. The air wreaked of death and blood.

They continued driving down Highway 290 for a few miles, both silent as they absorbed the destruction that surrounded them. They reached an interstate, which signaled to them that they were approaching the eastern border of the city, and they continued on past it. Tara 's expression and her demeanor as she drove were calm and extremely focused.

She frowned after having put about seven miles between them and the interstate, however, seeing an obstacle in the road ahead of them about a quarter mile up. Two semi trucks had been pushed onto their sides and they lay across the highway, effectively blocking any further passage.

Both women glared at the barrier.

"Fuck," Pam spat as Tara slowed the Camaro to a stop.

Pam smelled them a second later. Tara did too and she turned to her maker quickly, at a loss for words.

Vampires. Young and old. Dozen of them about a hundred yards away and fast approaching.

"Fuck!" Pam yelled, her eyes widening and her grip tightening around the handle of her gun, "Go back, Tara! Go back!"

Tara shifted the car into reverse. She backed up and jerked it around quickly so that it was facing the way from which they had come. She shifted again and the tires beneath them screeched as they pealed forward.

"Get onto I35 and head north," Pam instructed, her voice shaking slightly.

"Okay," Tara nodded quickly, careening the car forward, as fast as it would go.

They approached the other highway and Tara took the exit towards it swiftly. She maneuvered the car onto the interstate in a second, and she proceeded to speed them north. She looked into the rear view mirror. The vampires were behind them and running. She saw one of them break off from the group; older, faster and easily able to catch up to the car.

"Shit! Pam!" Tara yelled.

"I got him!" Pam yelled in response, having watched the mob through the rear windshield.

She eased her head and upper body out through the passenger's side window and she aimed for his heart, her gun steady in her hands. The vampire hurled himself towards them. She fired and a mass of red blood and chunks flew back into the rest of their pursuers.

It did not serve to deter them.

"We need to lose them! I can't take them all out like this," Pam yelled back into the car before she aimed her pistol again and shot two more vampires in their unbeating hearts.

"And how do you suggest I do that?!" Tara inquired, loudly.

"Fucking figure it out, Tara! I'm busy!" Pam called back to her, her whole upper body practically hanging out of the racing car now.

She shot down three more vampires, missing one at first and hitting her in the gut, but shooting her a second time a second later. The woman exploded, her remains splashing over her fellow hunters. The herd still inched towards them, getting closer with every second that passed.

"Okay," Tara quipped, shrugging. She reached for Pam, aggressively pulling her back into the car, "Buckle the fuck up. This is gonna hurt," she growled.

"Ooh, _Kinky_," Pam purred, glancing over at her progeny, smiling wickedly and widely.

Tara winked at her as she pulled her seatbelt over her torso. As soon as Pam's buckle clicked, Tara jerked the car into reverse, barreling them backwards, directly towards the mob.

"As soon as we hit the ground, you go for the shit in the trunk," Tara ordered, turning to look back at the mass of enemy vampires, "I'll cover you."

Most of the mob still sped towards them. A few had stopped to consider what was happening.

"What the fuck do you mean, _hit the_...?" Pam started, but before the last word could escape her lips, the car collided with the mob, flattening three bodies underneath it.

The force and the speed of the collision successfully decapitated one of the vampires and he splashed into a puddle underneath the car. They dragged another with them for several feet, but he eventually clawed his way out from underneath the vehicle. He quickly healed, as did Tara's other victim.

"Tara?!" Pam yelled, still unaware of her companion's plan, but growing increasingly nervous.

They were several yards behind the infuriated mob now. The enemy vampires had slowed and were turning to face them.

Tara grinned at Pam, her eyes shining.

The mob started towards them again.

Tara shifted the car forward then, smashing into the group a second time and taking down another body, who screeched as the car rolled over him, but who painfully rose to his feet after a few moments and started to heal. While most of the group moved to avoid colliding with the car, one brave, dumb vampire had managed to jump and latch onto the vehicle as it passed her. She crawled up the rear and towards the passenger's side window and she quickly tried to slither her way into the car. Pam made short work of her.

Tara pushed the car hard as she could, putting as much distance between it and the vampires as possible. The mob was turning towards them again. All but a scared few restarted their pursuit.

Tara gripped the steering wheel and she gritted her teeth, praying then that the momentum she had built up as she sped the Camaro forward would be enough. She wrenched the car to the right. The front of it smashed through the interstate's cement barrier wall and they flew away from the road. The car and its occupants dove several yards down towards the city streets. They landed with a powerful crash, front wheels first. The Camaro's rear shot up instantly and the car flipped over.

Their bodies jerked around violently. The back of Pam's head smashed against the top of the car as it hit the ground, and two of her ribs broke against her seatbelt as her body was thrown back down. Tara's head flew back against her seat before it propelled forward. Her skull smashed against the steering wheel and it cracked open.

The car's roof slammed onto the ground. The impact of the landing forced the car upwards and almost to it's side. It wobbled for a quick second before it crashed back onto the ground, upside down.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **See ALL of my previous chapters, yo.

**Author's Note: **Heh ;).

**Ch. 13**

Tara wasted no time assessing their injuries, or the damage that had been done to the car. Her shoulder was dislocated, but she popped it back onto place instantly and with a primal growl. She unlatched her seatbelt then and she turned towards her maker, who sat pinned under the metal of the roof and under the seat that had crunched down onto her.

Pam was dazed.

"Pam," Tara whispered. The blonde blinked twice, barely hearing her progeny's voice over the ringing in her ears, "Pam, we gotta go," Tara whispered as she unbuckled Pam's seatbelt.

Tara squeezed one arm between Pam's back and the seat that held her in place. She wrapped her other arm around Pam's waist crookedly. She pushed the seat back with all of her strength and she pulled Pam's body towards her own. Pam released a pained scream. She wrapped the arm that had been stuck behind her around Tara's back, gripping a handful the younger woman's hair.

She was free then. She twisted her hip joint back into place quickly with an agonizing cry that caused her progeny to flinch.

A second later Tara was kicking at the driver's side door, the strength of her legs propelling it into the air. It landed several feet away. She pulled Pam from the wreckage. Pam's pistol was lost, but Tara reached into the car for hers and she tucked it into her waistband before she grabbed the crossbow that she had claimed earlier in the night. She pulled the strap that hung from it over her head.

Pam stood and watched her for a split second, still dazed and seeing in triplicate.

"Pam," Tara hissed back at her as she reached for the arrows that were wedged under her seat, "Trunk!"

Pam twitched, checking back in. She quickly hobbled to the rear of the vehicle, her body in a world of pain. She ripped the trunk open easily. The ringing in her ears and the fuzziness in her head started rapidly fading away. The contents of the trunk fell out around her feet. She grabbed the duffel bag and emptied it, sure to retrieve the picture of her and Eric that she had packed. She tucked the photo into her back pocket and she proceeded to fill the bag with weapons and ammunition, as much as she could grab before they would have to run.

Her body was healing and her senses were sharpening with every second that passed. She knew their enemies were getting closer.

Tara moved to the rear of the vehicle then. She handed her arrows to Pam and her maker threw them into the bag before she reached for the cannisters of silver spray that were still on the ground.

The mob assembled on the overpass, still numbering in the dozens, all angrily staring down at the two women for a precious second before starting towards them. Tara reached for her gun and she started shooting without the slightest hesitation, skillfully taking down a vampire every second as she inched her body back towards her maker's. Pam was zipping the top of the bag closed. She had filled it with everything they could use, with the exception of the silver chain, which she could not safely handle without gloves, and the pistol that she tucked into the her waistband at the small of her back. She hoisted the bag over her shoulder and she wrapped an arm around Tara's waist.

She ran then, pulling Tara with her. She held on to her progeny tightly, knowing that the younger vampire would not be able to match her speed. The mob chased them, though actually nearing the pair proved more difficult now. Pam's speed on her feet was significantly greater than what they had managed in the car. They ran towards Austin's downtown area. Pam hoped to find somewhere for them to hide in any of the buildings that towered over them, but they had to lose the mob first, if only for a moment.

Tara took advantage of her maker's hold on her and she focused on shooting. She turned back towards the herd every few seconds, successfully killing every other, or every third vampire she aimed at; effectively discouraging the older members of the group from hurling towards them and providing her with clearer targets. There were still more than fifty following them, but the two women had made an impressive dent in their numbers.

They ran, Pam effortlessly carrying her progeny left and then right; down open streets and narrow alleyways. She glanced up and examined a building that stood in the distance ahead of them. It had a fire escape and would prove easy enough to scale. As she was about to turn to Tara to signal her intent, however, she saw something at the end of the alley they had just started running though.

Several somethings, actually. About thirty somethings.

Wolves. A huge pack of them ready to lunge, their eyes glowing bright yellow and their muzzles snarling.

"Motherfucker!" Pam yelled.

"Wha...?" Tara started to ask, turning to look at her maker's face, but before she could finish, her body was ripped off the ground.

Pam jumped, forty feet into the air, her free hand reaching for the one accessible window sill she had seen on the building to their right. She grasped at it. The combined weight of the bag that she still carried and her progeny suddenly felt like too much. Her fingernails scraped against the red brick, cracking and bleeding.

"Tara," she breathed.

Her hold on the younger woman's waist started to slip. Tara reached up and grabbed the edge of the window, pulling herself up slightly, and freeing Pam of her burden.

"Climb," Pam growled.

Tara quickly crawled up the side of the building, her nails digging into what nooks and mortar they happened upon, cracking then too, but the pain of no consequence to her in that moment.

Pam steadied herself on the ledge and in a second she followed her progeny up the wall, the trauma that her fingers had sustained after their initial ascent worsening with every inch, but her desire to escape the hoard that had followed them for miles now silencing her pain. She neared the roof and Tara reached a hand to her. She grabbed it and Tara lifted her up and into her arms. They both turned to look back down towards the alleyway.

The vampire mob and the werewolf pack collided, their meeting point instantly transformed from a barren slab of pavement, into a chaotic flurry of blood, fur, and flesh, as members of each group tore into each other. The werewolves' strength was heightened by the vampire blood that spurted into their mouths with every bite. The animals were quick and skilled. The vampires were quicker, though; crazed, and slowly gaining the upper hand.

"We should help them," Tara muttered, staring down at the horrifying scene below.

"No," Pam whispered, shaking her head, straightening the duffel bag around her shoulders and taking a step back from the edge of the rooftop. Her eyes met her progeny's, "They aren't distinguishing one vampire from the other at this point. I saw how they looked at us when we were running towards them, Tara. We need to go."

With that she turned and started across the rooftop. Tara shook her head slightly and she looked back down at the battle that was still in full effect. She sighed and she turned to follow her maker, who had started running then. Pam jumped towards the neighboring rooftop gracefully, and she ran and jumped towards the next with ease.

Tara hurried after her, but she paused for just a half a second to gather her wits, not yet having tested her strength and her speed as a vampire in such a manner. She ran then and with a powerful leap she flew across the gap that separated the buildings, landing on the next one lightly and on her feet. She laughed lightly and she did it again, catching up with Pam who was poised, kneeling at the edge of the final rooftop and staring down at a massive piece of beautiful architecture, surrounded by plush green grass and oak trees.

Several corpses lay scattered on the lawn and the lights that shone down from either side of the walkway that led to the front of the building displayed them artfully. The streets surrounding it were quiet.

"What's that?" Tara whispered, glancing over at her maker who appeared incredibly focused on the scene.

"I think it's the capitol," Pam muttered, scanning the area around the building for any sign of movement.

She saw nothing. She turned to Tara, her eyes hard.

"I'm not seeing anything down there, but stay alert," she drawled quietly, "There's a truck, just a block up," she continued, pointing the vehicle out to Tara. The white pick up was parked along the road and it's previous owner's body hung out from the driver's side window, "The keys are probably in it."

Tara nodded, looking back at the truck and noticing one problem.

"Is that a giant motherfucking confederate flag?" she gawked.

Pam narrowed her eyes at her progeny.

"It's Texas, Tara," she drawled.

"I don't give a fuck. I'm not riding around in that thing," Tara hissed, glaring at her maker and back at the truck.

"Are you fucking serious? We need to focus on not dying right now," Pam hissed back at her.

"I'm serious as a motherfucking heart attack," Tara spat quietly, "If I die at least I won't be dying in some goddamn dead cracker's lynch mobile."

Tara knew she was being ridiculous, given their situation. On the other hand, given their situation and the fact that she was risking her neck every second that passed for a world that had done little for her, or for black America in general thus far, she decided she would allow herself a moment to indulge in a bit of ridiculous self-righteousness. She had her principles.

Pam didn't hesitate. Tara may have decided to allow it, but she hadn't.

"_As your maker_, I _command_ you to climb into that motherfucking cracker mobile with me so that we can get the fuck out of dodge, Tara," she spat.

Tara narrowed her eyes into hateful slits.

"_Bitch_," she muttered.

Pam smirked.

Tara checked the number of bullets that remained in her pistol then and signaled to Pam that she was low. Pam reached behind her and she felt for another magazine in the bag that she carried, finally gripping one and handing it to the younger woman, who reloaded her glock without another word, still glaring at her maker.

Pam cracked her neck then audibly. She rolled her shoulders, readying herself. They were both fully healed from the injuries that had sustained in the car earlier, and from the damage inflicted on their fingers as when they climbed. Pam reached for the pistol that was still tucked away at her back. She cocked it. She arched a seductive eyebrow at Tara and she widened her smirk. Tara's eyes warmed, just slightly.

They jumped down from the twelve story building then, landing gracefully and moving towards the truck as soon as their feet touched the ground. Pam reached it first. She ripped the driver's side door open and the dead body slumped onto the ground. The keys to the truck fell down next to it, clinking at her feet. She reached for them as Tara approached the truck and hopped into the cab through the opposite door. Pam climb in then, the heels of her pumps burying themselves into the dead mound of flesh that lay beneath her. She turned her head down to glance at the expired racist's rotting body.

"Oops," she chirped as she hoisted herself into the driver's seat and pulled the door closed behind her.

She started the ignition and she had them on their way in a second, speeding down the silent streets of Austin, sure to avoid the path from which they had run and the vampires who had followed them into the city. In a few minutes time they found themselves back on the interstate and heading north again. There were no threats in sight; no vampires, no werewolves, no human beings. Pam pushed the pick up, revving it down the desolate road, desperate to put as much distance in as little time as possible between them and the hell that the city now symbolized for them.

Tara rested her pistol on her thigh, and she reached into the duffel bag that sat between them, pulling the package arrows out of it. She loaded her crossbow and positioned it on the floorboard between her legs.

They approached Highway 79. Pam veered right and took them onto it swiftly. They were heading east again, towards Houston. Pam sighed quietly as any sign of urban or suburban landscapes faded around them. There were only trees, fields, and the dark of night.

...

"NO!" Warlow boomed again, spinning, twisting and clawing at the air around him.

His body was suspended in the air, six feet over where Sookie still sat, gawking up at him. The witches had stopped chanting, but they still sat in their circles, their eyes closed, their hands linked, and their throats humming quietly.

Warlow had been flying. He had been flying towards the fairy he spent centuries waiting to claim, but as soon as he crossed into the protective barrier that surrounded the cave system where she was being held, he was seized by an invisible force.

"Maximus," Nora breathed, seeing her old acquaintance for the first time in centuries.

He stopped struggling, his body still for several seconds, before he slowly turned his head towards her. She still stood next to Colin, who glared up at ancient creature. They were positioned behind Lisa, who still sat behind her daughter, but who now watched everything happening in front of her with wide eyes. The ferocity with which Warlow had panicked worried Colin, but he trusted that his family would come to no harm. He would not let them come to harm.

"Nora," Warlow hissed, his eyes wild, "What is the meaning of this?"

He looked around the room then, at the witches, at the werewolves, and finally at Sookie who sat beneath him and whose smell was just now registering to him. His eyes widened and he screamed, enraged.

"_WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS_?!" his voice boomed through the cavern.

Rana hid behind Dinah then, and all of the adult wolves assumed defensive stances.

Nora rolled her eyes.

"Really, Max?" she chimed up at him, a wicked grin gracing her pink lips.

"Answer me!" he roared.

"Ask nicely," she purred, glaring up at him.

"Nora!" Sookie hissed, turning an angry stare towards the British vampire.

Nora rolled her eyes again, lifting a perfectly manicured fingernail to her lips and teasing it with her teeth as she hugged her other arm around her waist. She said nothing for a few moments. Colin glanced over at her, nervously.

"Dear, Maximus," she began sweetly, "My friends and I have a favor to ask of you."

"You stupid _cunt_," the vampire spat at her venomously, his frown deepening upon hearing her words, "You stupid, stupid _cunt_. I always knew you would lose your way. Salome was blind. Just a pair of stupid _cunts_, playing at a very dangerous game."

"Father sun," Sylvia whispered. Every witch in the room echoed her words as she repeated them, "Father sun."

Nora beamed up at him then. His eyes widened and he let out a high pitched, tortured wail as his skin started to burn. It bubbled and reddened. He jerked away in every direction, trying to escape the invisible instrument that inflicted his pain, but not knowing which way to go and not really able to go anywhere.

"Father sun," the witches said again and Warlow screamed louder, his pain intensifying. His skin continued to boil and parts of it started to blacken.

"Right, well," Nora chirped, still smiling up at the vampire.

The witches proceeded to hum and their prisoner's body slumped forward. His pain stopped and his skin started healing instantly. He shuddered as he lifted his eyes to meet hers again.

"Maximus," Nora started again, "This will be easier for you if you cooperate. It will be easy for us either way," she lied, knowing that the witches were exhausted, but unwilling to betray that knowledge to their guest.

He tore his eyes away from her, looking to his side at nothing for a moment, before refocusing his pale blue orbs on Sookie.

"My fairy," he muttered. She glared up at him.

"Not your's, barely a fairy, and fuck you," she spat, "You killed my parents."

"I was hungry," he whispered, grinning at her. Sookie clenched her jaw.

"Let's try to focus on the task at hand, shall we?" Nora said then, redirecting Warlow's attention back to her, "Maximus. I need you to tell me where I can find the remains."

"Never," he hissed.

"Father sun," Sylvia's young voice spoke. The other witches joined their's to hers again as she repeated the chant, "Father sun."

"No! NO!" Warlow screamed as his skin boiled, assaulted by the invisible power of the sun that the witches had harnessed and aimed towards him. He wailed for several moments.

"Father sun," the continued.

"Sylvia," Colin whispered calmly, knowing that Warlow died, they would not get what they needed from him, and not quite knowing how much the creature could take.

Sylvia stopped and the witches hummed again. Colin smiled down at the child who led them. Warlow's entire body was charred now. He was starting to heal, but more slowly than before.

"Maximus," Nora sang up at him, her eyes twinkling with malice, "If you told me, I would let you live. I would let you leave..."

"I would hunt you down," Warlow cut her off harshly.

"We can cross that bridge when we get to it, darling," she murmured, before continuing, "Tell me."

"If I don't?"

"Father sun," Sylvia breathed again, and the other witches repeated after her.

Warlow hadn't finished healing from the previous assault. He started burning again, his charred skin cracking and graying, blood red tears pouring down his twisted and screeching face, as chunks of ash flew away from him, floating in the air around his body, trapped in the force field that served as his prison. The witches hummed again after a few moments and Warlow's upper body dropped forward. He hugged his arms around himself and he wept silently.

"If you don't, then this will continue until you do. If you never decide to, then it will continue until you have no sense of who you are any more," Nora told him, a frown firmly settling on her face and her voice lowering until she growled, "It will continue until you are but a shell of a man, a shell of a vampire, and then it will continue, until I am bored of it."

Warlow had started mumbling to himself quietly as he cried.

"Lillith, my queen," he whispered, "Lillith, my one true god, forgive me for my weakness. Deliver me into you embrace. Lillith, my queen..."

"_Maximus_," Nora hissed.

"Lillith," he continued, ignoring her, "Lillith, my queen. Queen of the night. Forgive me for my follies..."

"_Maximus!_" Nora roared then, but he still ignored her as he rocked himself and prayed.

"Father sun," Sylvia said again, and Warlow's eyes shot open.

"No!"

"Father sun," the witches repeated and Warlow wailed.

"NO!" he screamed as his body was wracked with searing pain.

Nora grinned.

"Well now, I think we're getting somewhere," she glanced over at Colin who nodded, glaring up at their prisoner, his rust colored eyes hard.

"Maybe so," he whispered.

The witches stopped chanting and they hummed again. Warlow sobbed above them all. Sookie's expression was unmoving as she watched the torture, immensely gratified at the pain that the old vampire was being subjected to.

"Maximus?" Nora purred.

"The fairies," he started, blubbering the words out between shaking sobs, "The fairies took them into another realm."

"What realm?" Nora asked him, her voice hardening and her eyes narrowing.

"Lillith, forgive me," he sobbed, "Omic. It's inhabitants call it Omic. It is where Mab first settled, but it proved...unfriendly."

"Thank you, Maximus," Nora whispered, still glaring at him, a small smile forming on her lips then.

"I will end you," he snarled at her.

"No," she chimed then, her mood brighter than it had been in a very long time, "You _stupid...stupid...cunt_. I'm afraid you won't be given that chance."

"Lower him," Sookie muttered. She rose to her feet, the silver dagger held firmly between her fingers.

Warlow gawked. His wide eyes found Nora's.

"You said you would release me!" he yelled as he was slowly lowered to the ground by the focused power of the witches, "You said you would let me live!"

"Oh, I would, Maximus," she smiled up at him, "If it were up to me I would, in exchange for the information you have provided us with. For old time's sake. Alas, there are other's present who are owed a say in the matter."

"Mother moon," the witches chanted then, rocking back and forth slightly as they did.

His eyes practically bulged out of his head as he found himself positioned directly in front of Sookie, unable to move any part of his body. He tried to speak, but he couldn't move his tongue. He tried to scream, but he couldn't open his mouth.

Sookie's expression was grave. She raised the dagger up to the level of her chest and she stared at it for a moment. She pulled her eyes away from it and she glared up at Warlow. His eye's seemed to plead with her.

"This," she began, her voice catching in her throat. She breathed deeply and continued, "This is for my daddy."

She rammed the dagger into his left lung forcefully. His eyes widened and bloody tears fell from them again, but he could not scream. He could barely move the muscles of his face to express his pain. She retracted the dagger and blood dripped from his wound. He was too weak to heal himself in that moment, not without a meal.

"This is for my momma," she told him, her voice growing bolder.

She buried the dagger into the other side of his chest, piercing his other lung. He squeezed his eyes shut and continued to cry.

"This is for my brother," she growled as she stabbed him in the heart.

His eyes shot open as the silver blade tore at the flesh inside of him and burned it. Sookie retracted the dagger again, and she tightened for grip of it, breathing deeply and readying herself for her final task. Warlow's weeping eyes bore into her, for just a moment, before he lifted them to stare at the air above his head in silent prayer.

"And this..." Sookie said then, reaching up to grip a fistful of the vampire's white hair. She wrenched his head down a few inches to her level, "This is for me. _Douche_."

She lifted the dagger to the side his neck and she buried it deep. She proceeded to tear at the flesh with the sharp blade. She sliced through tendon and she sawed through bone, blood gushing onto her body with every cut. She ripped his head off after a minute. Head and body dissolved into thin mist of blood that quickly evaporated away.

...

As soon as they passed through the boundary of the barrier spell that had protected them thus far, Eric and Jessica both felt the change. Jessica dropped to her knees instantly, overcome with nausea and a sharp pain in her chest.

"Eric," she whimpered.

Eric stepped to her side and he pulled her to her feet.

"Jessica, look at me," he insisted, shaking her shoulders a little and forcing her pained gaze to meet his, "You look at me. I need you to block him out. I need you to really try."

"I don't know how," she cried then, two blood tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

"Focus. Tighten your muscles," he instructed her, placing a flat hand on her diaphragm, "Right here. Tighten them and think of your sister. Think of nothing else but your sister, Jessica."

She sobbed as she tried to do as he said, tensing the muscles at her center painfully and thinking of Eden.

"You can do this," Eric whispered.

She nodded as she took a deep and unnecessary breath. She focused, remembering her sister laughing over at her from the other side of the couch as they watched a movie together; remembering her sister as they snuck into their mother's vanity and practiced putting make up on. She tried. She tightened every muscle in her abdomen. Her discomfort slowly fizzled away, not quite completely, but enough.

"Good," Eric grinned at her, as he pulled a stake from the bag he carried, "Good work. Let's move. Be ready to kill."

"Oh, I am," she growled, nodding at him.

He ran then and she followed several paces behind him. They ran for several moments before they were flocked on either side by dozens of vampires. Jessica grimaced as she pulled a pistol from it's holster at her side and started shooting the group to their left, hitting every other target and reducing them to thick puddles of red mush.

Eric flew to the right, his wooden stake held firmly in his hand. He barreled into the first vampire he reached, forcing the creature several yards back despite it's resistance. He gripped the vampire by her hair, wrenching her body forward and he planted his stake into her heart. Another vampire ran up behind him and he spun around to face him. The enemy sped towards him, but Eric jumped forward and reached for her throat, grabbing it and stopping the young vampire in her tracks. Eric buried the stake into the vampire's chest and he quickly retracted it. The creature exploded in his hand.

He moved then. He sped back towards Jessica, leaping towards another four vampires who met him in his approach. He buzzed around them, piercing each of their hearts as he did. He reached Jessica a second later. She was still shooting vampires who whirled around in front of her, avoiding her bullets, but slowly nearing her. She had successfully taken down six of them so far. Several others gathered around them, fangs bared and eyes vicious.

Eric flattened his back against hers and he yelled into her ear over his shoulder.

"_Don't you fucking shoot me_!" he ordered as he flew towards their assailants, jumping onto the first, grabbing him by his jacket and spinning him around into a head lock.

Eric staked him and he swiftly moved towards the next two, who stood a foot apart. He grasped the first by the back of the neck and he twisted its head off effortlessly. The other charged him, but Eric ducked down and wrapped his arms around the young woman's legs. He squeezed, breaking her limbs and she screamed. He lifted her into the air as he bent a knee. He flipped her easily and he cracked her spine against his thigh before staking her, ripping the stake from her a millisecond later and whirling around to face another vampire. He buried the wooden spike into his chest.

He didn't paused to reflect on, or celebrate his kills; he just kept killing. He shot towards another and staked it. He sped towards another and staked it. None of them were anywhere near his age, and not one of them had his skill.

Jessica shot down a vampire. She aimed for the next one she saw, gritting her teeth as she pulled the trigger again. Her silver tipped bullet grazed Eric's cheek as he approached the vampire she'd had in her sights.

"Jessica!" he roared as he grabbed the vampire in front of him by the shirt and pulled his chest into the wooden stake, all the while glaring over at the overwhelmed teenager.

"Shit! Sorry!" she sang at him apologetically.

A vampire snuck up behind Jessica then and he grabbed her by her long red hair, twisting her around to face him. She screeched as she pressed the barrel of her gun to his chest and fired. His remains splashed all over her.

Eric finished off the rest of them in a second and with ease. He stopped and scanned the area around him, his eyes narrow and menacing. Seeing no one else near them he stepped towards Jessica who was scraping thick blobs of flesh off of her face.

"Fucking sick," she muttered.

"I told you _NOT_ to shoot me," Eric growled at her, the scratch on his face practically healed.

"I said sorry!" she replied, irritated, "Geez, it was fucking chaotic. Cut me some slack."

"It hurt," he mumbled as he stepped past her.

"Oh, you'll live, _I'm sure_," she grumbled, rolling her eyes and falling in line behind him as she continued to pick chunks of vampire off of her clothes.

She hadn't been looking, or she would have realized that Eric had stopped walking a few second later. She collided with him. She backed up an inch, stunned for just a moment before she frowned.

"Eric, what the...?" she started, but then she saw what he was seeing, and her eyes widened, "Oh fuck."

Hundreds of vampires stood before them, about two hundred yards out. The moon that been shining a bright white, slowly turned a deep red.

Bill hovered over the hoard, elevated a hundred feet into the air, his arms outstretched, his jaw set, completely naked and covered in a thick layer of blood. His bright white fangs protruded out from his mouth then as he opened it to scream.

...

Pam's eyes widened as she looked out at the road ahead of them. The moonlight had changed color. Everything around them was suddenly touched by a faint hint of red.

"Eric," she whispered, her eyes filling with fear for her maker.

There was no way she could know exactly what was happening, but she had an idea. She pressed the gas pedal down, pushing the truck as fast as it could go.

"Huh?" Tara asked turning to her, finally speaking after about thirty minutes of what she considered 'silent treatment'.

"Brace yourself," Pam warned her progeny, turning to meet the younger woman's eyes.

"What?" Tara asked, crinkling her brow.

Bill's scream traveled for hundreds of miles. When it reached them Pam clutched her chest and cried out in pain. The truck swerved wildly, but she managed to focus on steadying it.

"Pam?!" Tara wailed as the wretched noise pierced her ears and ripped into her. She screamed as she reached to the dashboard and dug her fingers into the plastic, burying her head in her arms, her body shaking.

"Tara," Pam called to her progeny. Her voice cracked and her hands clenched at the steering wheel, "Tara, just...hang on."

Tears streamed down both of their faces. Pam drove as fast as the truck would take them, trying desperately to separate them from the torturous sound a mile at a time.

"No," Pam gasped as she felt the ground beneath the truck quake violently.

Tara release another excruciating cry, unable to focus on anything outside of the pain the coursed through her body. Unable to see though her tears that the world was literally falling apart underneath them and around them. Pam's eyes widened as she watched the road split ahead. She jerked the truck to the left in an effort to avoid the gaping crack in the pavement.

Trees started falling in the woods around them as the earth moved underneath them in waves, unearthing ancient roots. One crashed onto the top of the truck's cab, but Pam forced the vehicle out from under it with a powerful rev to its engine. They barreled over thick mounds of quaking earth, surfing waves of asphalt, the truck flying into the air and slamming back down under them every few seconds, tossing their bodies around. They powered through for about five minutes before it all stopped.

The world stopped moving around them, the scream stopped tearing through their minds and through their guts, and the moon stopped glowing blood red. Pam choked out a tiny cry when she realized it.

She slowed the truck down instantly and she jerked it into park, its engine still purring, but its wheels still. She turned to Tara and she crawled over the duffel bag that sat between them, kicking it behind her, until she was sitting directly next to her progeny, pulling Tara back from the dash that she still clung to.

"C'mere," Pam murmured, drawing Tara into her arms. She hugged them around the baby vampire tightly.

Tara sobbed into Pam's chest for a few moments, her nerves still shocky and her body trembling.

"I'm sorry," the younger woman whispered finally, snuggling deeper into Pam's chest, clinging to her, "I'm sorry. I couldn't help you."

"Shhh, hush," Pam insisted, rubbing Tara's back softly and pressing soft kisses to the top of her head, "There was nothing you could do."

Tara sighed. Then she huffed and rolled her eyes at herself. She reached her hand up to wipe the tears from her face and she lifted her head to meet Pam's.

"That felt like..." she grumbled, memories of their escape from the Authority compound rushing back into her mind.

"It was Bill," Pam cut her off gently, raising a hand to Tara's cheek and rubbing it with her thumb, "And it was west."

Tara's eyes widened.

"Jess," she choked.

Pam nodded.

"Pam we have to go back," Tara insisted urgently.

"We can't," Pam answered firmly, though her eyes betrayed her remorse.

"But, Jessica," Tara whispered, thinking of the young woman she had come to value immensely, though she wasn't always the best at showing it. Her eyes widened.

"Eric," she breathed and Pam's eyes saddened.

"We can't," Pam whispered, ripping her eyes away from Tara's face, unable to bear her pleading stare.

"Can I...?" Tara started then, gripping for the cell phone Eric had given her. It was still safe and in her pocket.

"No, Tara," Pam shook her head, stopping Tara's had with her own. She'd told Eric they would check in from Beaumont and that's what she planned to do, covertly, unsure of her maker's situation now, but unwilling to betray their's.

Tara frowned deeply. She looked as if she might cry again. Pam noticed and she tried to prepare herself for that possibility.

Tara did not cry, however. Instead her expression flattened and she nodded, her cheek still cupped in Pam's hand. She sighed, fully registering the touch for the first time and she leaned into it, turning her lips to meet the skin of Pam's palm and kissing her there.

Pam sighed, her eyelids fluttering closed.

Before she knew what was happening Tara had an arm wrapped around her waist and she was pulling Pam towards her. Their lips crashed together in a powerful kiss, one they both moaned into instantly. They needed that kiss, desperately, though neither of them been given the opportunity to realize as much until that moment. Their tongues stroked each other and their lips warred. They kissed for several seconds before reluctantly parting, knowing that they had to start moving again, and soon.

Their lips were just an inch apart and the electric buzz that the kiss had manifested shot back and forth between their mouths. Tara's arms were still wrapped around Pam's waist, and Pam's hands cradled her face. Tara's eyes bore into Pam's fiercely.

"I fucking love you," she whispered, almost silently. All of Pam tensed in her arms, and her maker's eyes widened dramatically. The older woman gasped, her throat tightening. Tara leaned into her, nibbling at the flesh of her neck and whispering in her ear, "You don't have to say it back. You don't ever have to say it back, but...in case something happens, I need you to have heard me say the words. You're my world now. You're everything."

Pam's eyes were no longer lust filled and hazy. She clenched her jaw. Her mouth opened as if to say something, but she couldn't seem to...make...sound...happen.

She knew Tara loved her, but hearing the words from Tara's mouth and seeing the strength in her progeny's eyes as she said them; it made just knowing completely abstract. Tara's love became real to Pam then. It became flesh and blood, sight and sound.

Pam opened her mouth to say something else, but nothing came out again, so she slammed it shut. Tara pulled her face from Pam's neck and their eyes locked. Pam couldn't say anything, but she wasn't looking away. She wouldn't look away.

Tara smiled shyly. She leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on Pam's lips. Pam deepened it with a whimper. Tara smiled into her mouth.

"You don't have to say anything," Tara tried to assure her as they eventually pulled their lips apart. They were silent for several moments, their bodies still close and their eyes gazing into each other. Tara finally broke the silence, "We should go. You want me to drive?"

The question seemed to snap Pam out of her fog. She jerked a little when she heard it.

"No!" she exclaimed, reaching towards the steering wheel possessively as she pried herself away from Tara's grip. She glared at her progeny then.

"_Okay_?" Tara drawled, eyeing her maker quizzically.

"You don't get to drive for a_ long _while, Tara," Pam informed her, as she crawled back over to her side of the truck, "Not after that dumb shit you pulled earlier."

Tara chuckled, settling back into her seat and buckling her safety belt. Pam buckled hers then too.

"Hey now," Tara said, arching a brow at her maker, "You told me to fucking figure it out. That was me fucking figuring it out."

"Right," Pam replied in a low, slow drawl, her eyes still glaring, "I'll consider that next time."

Tara winked at her, grinning. The action caused a lump to form in Pam's throat and she stared at Tara for moment before she rolled her eyes, smirking then too despite herself. She wrenched the truck into gear and they rolled forward. In no time they were speeding east again.

Tara turned to look at her, relaxed as she could be, considering that they had mostly been met with terror, insanity, and a whole lot of blood thus far in their journey. She watched Pam drive, taking in the sight of her tense muscles, her worried brow; the sheer mess she had become as a result of their trip. Dried blood cracked on her pale face and neck, and it was caked into her hair. Her body was covered in the stuff. Tara looked down at her own body then and she realized that she was nearly in the same state. She sighed deeply. Pam glanced over at her.

"What?" Pam asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Can we make a shower happen? Sometime soon?" Tara asked jokingly.

"Fuck. _Yes_," Pam hissed in response, glaring down at her body, fully aware of how she must look.

Tara smiled and she turned her eyes back to the road. They were silent for several minutes, but Tara sighed again, causing Pam to jerk a little. She glanced over at her progeny again.

"What now?" she asked, a pale eyebrow arched.

"Oh," Tara hummed, "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Tara?" Pam muttered, her eyes growing worried as she felt a tiny flicker of grief emit from Tara through their bond, "What? Tell me?"

Honestly, Pam really wasn't sure that she wanted Tara to confess what was upsetting her in that moment. Tara had told her that she didn't have to say it back.

She was counting on that.

She wasn't ready to say it back.

She started to panic.

"Really, it's nothing," Tara whispered, her own expression growing worried as she noticed Pam fidget and as she felt the terror that flooded her maker then.

Pam shot her a threatening glare, and Tara rolled her eyes.

"Don't you _eye choke _me, Pam!" Tara spat. She turned away and she sighed again, "I just," she began, "I really miss my Camaro."

Pam gawked at her. Every part of her relaxed a second later. She chuckled, relieved, and she grinned over at Tara, her eyes shining affectionately.

"_Dyke_," she whispered.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I've said it before and I'll say it again! I own nothing of True Blood, I make no money off this story, don't sue me, yo!

**Author's Note:** I'm SO sorry for the long wait. Sheer madness at work, a brutal break up, and the fucking holiday crippled the shit out of my creativity. I'm still struggling for inspiration. I hope it doesn't come through in this chapter, but if it does, don't hesitate to let me know so I can do better with the next one. Please review! I need all of the kind words y'all can muster, and all of the constructive critiques. Again, sorry for the wait, and I hope this long ass chapter makes up for it.

**Ch. 14**

When Eric awoke all he saw was blackness. He was silvered, wrists and ankles bound, and neck wrapped in a tight chain noose that held him upright. He swallowed. The action caused the flesh on neck to sizzle. His throat was painfully dry

"Jessica?" he whispered roughly.

He heard no reply, only the sound of tires rolling along at a high speed underneath him. He struggled then. He twisted his wrists but he found no weakness in the chain that had been wrapped around them. He sighed and tried to settle himself.

The memory of what had transpired before he blacked out came rushing back to him. A field of hundreds of vampires awaiting their orders to charge. Bill Compton elevated above them, covered in blood, a maniacal gleam in his eyes. The moon glowing a deep blood red and Bill's scream as he flew towards them; a sound that dropped Eric to his knees and sent Jessica into a wailing seizure.

Eric had called her name, he had screamed it, but she couldn't hear anything. Blood poured from her eyes, her ears and nose. It gushed from her mouth as she jerked violently.

Eric had wondered through his own pain how Bill had come so quickly. He thought they would have more time, even just minutes more. He must have been waiting for them; for any of them. They had all assumed that the vampires migrating towards Louisiana had been migrating towards Bill, but Eric knew now that they were waiting; an army being assembled and trained while their master was away.

Eric remembered trying to crawl towards Jessica. He remembered reaching her and pulling her writhing body with him as he struggled to his feet. He remembered his desperation; his need to get them back through the border of the witches' barrier spell. The only chance they had at catching and holding Bill was if they could get him to follow them.

Eric remember turning back towards it, dragging Jessica with him, and coming face to face with a mad god reborn. He remember nothing after that moment. Nothing after the hateful fire in Bill's eyes and the exaggerated white fangs. Nothing after his silent prayer to his maker to meet him on the other side.

Eric had been convinced that moment, the last he experienced before he blacked out, would be his last moment on earth; the last of his afterlife. Apparently he was mistaken. He woke up, and it seemed that he was going somewhere.

"Hello?" he whispered coarsely to whoever was driving the vehicle that was transporting him, to where, he had no idea.

His call was answered with silence, but he felt the vehicle start to slow. It stopped and Eric clenched his jaw. He was in no position to fight, his strength and his senses severely weakened by the silver that held him, but he couldn't help his tension, the narrowing of his eyes under black fabric, or his resolve.

He heard a car door open and someone step through it before shutting it behind them. Several seconds later a door to his right, a van door, clicked and rolled open. Eric balled his fists. Someone was climbing into the vehicle next to him. They smelled familiar, but Eric's typically keen sense of smell was muddled by the silver that debilitated him. He couldn't tell who this was, but their familiarity was non-threatening.

"Shhh," a man hissed then, as one of his hands bunched the fabric at the bottom of the black sack that had been pulled over Eric's head and slowly started pulling it off.

Eric saw his captor then and he blinked, trying to refocus his wide blue eyes, not believing what they were showing him.

"What?" Eric choked, "But...how?"

"Are you...you?" his captor asked him, eyeing him cautiously and gripping a wooden spike between his fingers.

Eric understood.

"Yes," he said quietly, nodding.

"_Mmmhmm_, " Lafayette hummed, shaking his head a little as he moved to loosen the chain that had seared and buried itself into Eric's neck, "She said you would be."

"Who...?" Eric started before quickly abandoning that line of thought for the moment, "My phone," he breathed, as Lafayette moved to unlock the chains at his wrists.

"Slow down, bitch," Lafayette mumbled, finally freeing Eric's hands and moving to his feet as Eric reached into his pocket for his flip phone.

He released a deep sigh when he felt it. He immediately texted Pam and Tara both.

_Wait for me in Beaumont._

He set the phone down for a moment and he flexed the parts of his body that were now completely free from the enfeebling silver. His strength was coming back to him. He looked over at Lafayette who was still sitting next to him, stuffing the silver chains into the black sack that had blinded him just moments ago. His phone beeped.

_Okay. Are you okay?_The text from Tara's number read, though some part of him told him that Pam had sent the message.

_Apparently. I think it's a long story._He responded.

Eric looked back up at Lafayette. His phone beeped again a second later.

_Tell me if I'm bored one day. See you in Beaumont._Definitely Pam. Eric smirked down at the screen before closing the phone and stuffing it into his pocket.

"Who 'dat?" Lafayette huffed, arching an eyebrow at the vampire.

"Pam," Eric responded quickly, his back straightening.

"She with my cousin?" Lafayette muttered, his eyes betraying a worry that did not transfer to the rest of his face.

"She is. They are okay as far as I know. I need you to take me to meet them," Eric answered nodding and stretching his shoulders.

"Where?" Lafayette asked curtly.

He seemed tense and overwhelmed; not the fresh faced and sassy, albeit often terrified, Lafayette that Eric knew. He seemed like he'd been up for days and in over his head the whole while. Eric furrowed his brow slightly.

"Beaumont," he told the other man.

"'S'get on the road," Lafayette mumbled and nodded before climbing back up into the driver's seat, "C'mon."

Eric followed him up to the front of the van, the very same one that had carried them into Texas two days earlier. He settled into the passenger's seat and glanced over at Lafayette who was starting the ignition.

"So...?" Eric hummed, "What the fuck...?"

"What the fuck is fucking right, motherfucker," Lafayette sighed, shaking his head and putting the van into gear, before moving them forward, "Ol' lady Stackhouse came to me, and not like in a motherfuckin' dream, but just as I was getting back to Bon Temps and getting cozy behind my motherfuckin' grill."

"Sookie's grandmother?" Eric asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Yup," Lafayette nodded, "I guess she and your vampdaddy have gotten to be great pals beyond the grave."

"Godric...?" Eric whispered.

"Yup," Lafayette nodded again, pushing the van faster as he spoke, "She tells him stories about her kids, and her grandkids; about human life. He tells her stories about his two thousand years, fuckin' shit up on this here earth. They keep an eye on y'all; on you and Sook', on your sister, on Tara. On all y'all."

"And she came to you? To ask you to help us?" Eric questioned quietly.

"Mmmhmm..." Lafayette groaned, glancing over at Eric and rolling his eyes, "I _still_ ain't motherfuckin' slept."

"Have you seen Godric?" Eric asked.

"Nope. Don't think I can," Lafayette told him evenly, "Y'all are different, even _dead_ dead. Don't know the specifics, but she said he couldn't help me, help y'all."

"Right," Eric nodded, "So..."

"So..." Lafayette cut him off, "She filled me in on all the shit you failed to mention the other day..._bitch_...and she said you were gonna need some help, so I flew the fuck back out to Texas, picked this motherfuckin' van back up, right where I'd left it, and I hurried on back, like a goddamn fuckin' fool."

"But how..." Eric started, but Lafayette cut him off again.

"How did I avoid getting motherfucking slaughtered by the hundreds of vampires I walked up on in that fucking field, or by naked, bloody, psycho vampire Bill?" Lafayette muttered. Eric nodded, "She kept me under their radar. Dunno how. I watched all that shit and not one o' y'all saw me," he chuckled nervously, "I heard Bill's lady scream. That shit made the earth shake, but she muffled it for me. Was able to get up close just as he was sneaking round behind y'all."

"Jessica?" Eric asked the, and Lafayette shook his head.

"He got her," he told the vampire quietly, "Snatched her right from you before we was able to stop him. He didn't kill her. Just took her. He was 'bout to motherfuckin' kill you though, but ol' Mrs. Stackhouse put a stop to that shit."

"How?" Eric asked, staring at Lafayette now, his eyes wide and disbelieving.

"Man,_ I just don't know_," Lafayette breathed, scratching the side of his head, his expression beyond perplexed as he turned to Eric, "She just jumped right in me. I don't remember much, but there was a lot of light and a whole lot of power. She shot that shit out my hands and aimed it at Bill; at his army. They hauled ass the fuck outta there and I was able to get you back to the van," Lafayette paused and sighed, turning his gaze back to the road ahead of them

"The first clear thing I remember was chaining you up. She was back at my side telling me to drive east until you woke up. She said that if you were still you, and not possessed or made crazy by that crazy bitch who's been crazying the fuck outta all you bloodsuckers, that I should get you where you need to go," Lafayette told him. He sighed then and gulped as he glanced back over at Eric.

"What?" Eric asked quickly, "There's something else."

"Yup. She said she had a message from your maker," Lafayetted nodded solemnly, "I guess Bill's planning on using Jessica as the next vessel. She said you need to be prepared to stop that from happening...whatever it takes."

"Sacrifice Jessica," Eric muttered, understanding.

"If it comes to that, yeah," Lafayette mumbled in response, "That's what she said."

"Right," Eric sighed, "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now let's just get to Beaumont."

...

"Claude?" Sookie called out into the cavern.

All eyes were on her small form as she stood in the center of the space. A second later they were mostly blinded as a bright flash of light appeared before her. Claude materialized in front of her, and he quickly shot around to inspect the area around him, remembering the last time she had summoned him.

The air in the space smelled a little sweeter to the werewolves and the human witches noticed no change at all, but Nora clenched her jaw when the fairy's scent floated into her nostrils. She clasped a hand around Colin's forearm without thinking. The younger vampire's fangs descended with a quick pop and his eyes brightened hungrily.

"Oh my," he whispered, the muscles of his arm tensing beneath Nora's fingers. He turned to her, "Don't let me eat him."

"I make no promises," Nora muttered.

Claude glared at them.

"Sookie?" he growled through gritted teeth.

"No one is eating him," Sookie sighed, resting a hand on Claude's shoulder to try and settle him. He turned to face her, his expression irritated.

"Sookie, darling, we really have got to stop meeting like this," he whispered.

"I know, I know," Sookie rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry, but I need your help. Again."

"Right," Claude sighed, glancing nervously back at the vampires, before looking over to the witches who had scattered about the cavern and the werewolf pack who were still congregated at the steps that led up towards the lair's guest quarters, "Do tell."

"So, remember how I told you about...well...everything...?" Sookie started and Claude nodded.

"Yes, yes. The vampire rapture. Your ex-boyfriend," Claude muttered.

"Yeah," Sookie continued, "Well, apparently that bitch Lillith's remains are hidden away in another realm. Mab took them ages ago, and Nora seems to think that we need to get to them before Bill finds a way to."

"Ah," Claude breathed, understanding, "Right."

"So," Sookie said then, gesturing to some of the human women who stood around them, "These witches summoned me here 'cause Nora thought that Warlow might know where they are."

"Warlow?" the fairy whispered, "The vampire who...?"

"Who killed my parents, yes," Sookie finished for him, "They had me call for him and he came, and I guess they were able to trap him. Anyway, that not important now. He's been...dealt with."

Claude's eye widened slightly as she spoke and he took note of Sookie's appearance for the first time since having been summoned into the cave. Her arms and upper body were covered in dried blood.

"Sookie, are you alright?" he murmured, reaching to touch her face lightly. She seemed like she might break down into tears in that moment, suddenly overwhelmed by her friend's concern for her and by the realization of what she had actually done several minutes earlier, but she took a deep breath to compose herself and she nodded.

"I'm okay," she smiled up at the fairy, "I...well, what matters now is that we were able to find out where Mab took the remains."

"Really?" Claude gawked, "Seriously? She's never told a soul."

"Well, she must have, 'cause Warlow knew." Sookie told him firmly.

"Where?" Claude asked quietly.

"Omic," Sookie answered.

Claude's eyes narrowed and his jaw hardened.

"Sookie," he muttered, "It's...it's not safe."

"I'm sorry?" Sookie asked then, looking up at her friend quizzically.

"Omic," Claude continued somberly, "If she left them in Omic it was probably because, well...it's not safe to go there. When Mab first found the realm, seeking an escape; seeking safety for the fairies that were left in this one; well, the group that went with her," he paused, his expression saddening, "They were decimated, Sookie. Omic...it is filled with unspeakable horrors. It is the place that Hell was modeled after in the stories the humans of old wrote," he paused again, gulping, "It's not safe."

"If Lillith is able to get to her remains before we do, fairy, she will be able to reach her full potential," Nora spoke then, "I trust you know what that would mean."

"I do," Claude nodded, turning towards the vampire. His brow furrowed deeply and he ran a hand through his brown hair.

"I can't let that happen, Claude," Sookie said, her voice quiet, but hard, "This is my world. My realm. There are people I love here. There are babies being born here, and they're being harvested for food. Their parents are dying to keep them from harm. There are vampires here who are unwilling to fall in line and who are being massacred. Weres and shifters are being exterminated. There is already so much destruction. I can't even imagine how much worse it could get, but I can't just let it happen. I won't just let it get worse, even if it means I die trying. I know you understand," she paused, grinning up at him then, "Babies, Claude. Fairies love babies."

"We do," Claude sighed, his eyes still sad.

"So," Sookie said then, her grin morphing into a small and determined smile, "How do we get there?"

"I'd have to take you. I..." Claude muttered, frowning slightly, "I guess if it's my time to die, it's my time to die."

"With any luck, none of us will be dying," Sookie told him, her eye's locking with his, and her smile unwavering. He shook his head, wishing in that moment that had been more explicit in his depiction of the realm she sought.

"How much luck have you had as of late, Miss Stackhouse?" he said.

Sookie's smile faltered a little, but she shook off his words.

"Well, none, but I think I'm about due," she chuckled, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder, before she stepped towards the two vampires in their company, "Nora..."

"I won't eat him, I swear," Nora grumbled, not at all excited about the fact that Claude would have to accompany them. His smell would prove incredibly distracting, but she resolved herself to try and remain as focused as possible, "Eating...something...beforehand might help me keep that promise, however," she muttered, turning to Colin, who's eyes were fixed on the young male fairy, and who's mouth had not stopped watering since he appeared in the cavern, "Colin?"

"Oh," Colin jumped a little at the sound of her voice speaking his name. He turned his gaze towards her, "Yes, right. I...right. Carmen, would you be a dear?"

Carmen smirked, strutting over towards Nora, oozing voluptuous sensuality. Nora seemed to completely forget about the fairy as she was met with Carmen's fierce dark stare. Carmen took her pale hand and led her towards what Nora knew now was the witches' library. She followed without a word.

Joshua and several of the other wolves from his pack grimaced as they watched the scene unfold. None of them were terribly fond of vampires, or of the idea of human voluntarily offering themselves up as a meal, but they kept from voicing their distaste. Brandon stepped away from the walkway as most of the other wolves watched, and he moved towards Sookie.

"My sister and I will accompany you, halfling," he told her, his voice quiet and gruff, "We are both skilled fighters. We will do what we can to keep you safe. Both of you," he finished, looking over at Claude, who nodded his appreciation, but who said nothing.

"Thank you," Sookie said, smiling at him warmly.

Brandon's three wives gathered behind him. He turned to them, his eyes softening.

"Let's get you armed, my love," Elaine whispered, her hand reaching for his cheek and touching it lightly.

Her twin sister had an arm wrapped around her waist and a mournful look in her eyes. His third wife, Dolores, looked at him intently, pride filling her fierce dark eyes. The four of them stepped away from the rest of the group then and they made their way to their rooms quietly.

Dinah was still among the other wolves, sitting on a lower step next to her young cousin, Rana, and next to little Sylvia, who looked exhausted from her work over the last several hours, but who refused to miss out on the chance to interact with another child for the sake of sleep. Both children look over towards Dinah, their eyes a little wide.

"You're leaving soon?" Sylvia whispered. Dinah nodded, turning a sad smile towards her.

"I think so, dollface," she murmured.

Rana assaulted her with a powerful hug then, and Sylvia followed suit. Dinah chuckled quietly,

"Aw. I'll be okay, you guys," she whispered, hugging both of them against her breast tightly, "I'm a badass, remember?"

Rana sniffed and nodded her head into Dinah's neck as Sylvia released a small sob, her exhaustion getting the better of her. Her mother moved towards her and she kneeled down next to the little girl, petting her hair as she did.

"Shhh, baby girl," Lisa murmured.

Dinah looked over at the older woman, her own tears threatening to fall then. Lisa gave her a sad smile and she pried her daughter from the wolf-bitch's arms, wrapping her own arms around the little girl. Dinah pressed a kiss to her cousin's temple as she pulled the child away from her gently.

"I'll be okay, but whatever happens," she started, choking a little ass she spoke, "You promise me that you won't take any shit from anyone...ever. Okay?"

Rana nodded her head as tears fell from her eyes, and Dinah pressed another kiss to her forehead. She turned towards Sylvia then, who was wrapped in her mother's embrace.

"You too," she whispered, and Sylvia nodded as she lifted her grief stricken face from Lisa's shoulder.

"I promise," she cried quietly.

"Okay," Dinah muttered, rising to her feet then, "I'm gonna grab my pack. I love you guys," she said as she stepped away from them, her eyes stinging with tears that she refused to let fall. One of the other wolves reached an arm around Rana and pulled her towards her. The child continued crying against her hip.

Tess and Mercedes watch the exchange from across the room where they had been mingling with their cloaked guests from Fredricksburg. Tess' eyes were wide, but she did not move, despite Mercedes urging her silently with her eyes.

Nora and Carmen emerged from the passage that lead to the library then, Nora looking immensely satisfied and Carmen wearing a seductive grin on her face. She winked at Nora subtly before she made her way towards where Mercedes stood, and Nora smirked as she moved towards Sookie, Claude and Colin. Sookie was in the process of wiping Warlow's blood from her arms with a wet hand towel. She scowled down at herself.

"The wolves are gathering their things," Colin informed Nora, "You can be on your way once they return."

"Right," Nora sighed, the enormity of what they were about to attempt becoming clear to her in that moment, "Thank you, Colin. For your hospitality. For all your people have done thus far," she whispered.

"Of course," Colin whispered back at her, nodding and smiling slightly, "Pamela turned me, but Godric made me into the vampire I am today. I would do anything for any of his blood."

Nora smiled back at him, staring into his bright eyes and wanting to say more, but not finding the words to convey the full extent of her appreciation for him, or her attraction towards him. It would be better conveyed physically and they just didn't have the time, so she tore her gaze away from him, having noticed Brandon and his wives emerging from their tunnel. Dolores looked solemn, and the twin sisters has tears streaking down their cheeks.

Dinah appeared a second later, pulling a strap from her back pack over a shoulder, her expression hard. Tess followed behind her, but she stopped when she reached the end of the passage that lead to Dinah's quarters, leaning against the stone and hugging her upper body tightly.

"Well, it seems you're all here then," Colin muttered, his face filled with worry as his looked over at two of his dearest friends.

"The pack will stay here and help you guard this space should the barrier fail," Brandon told the vampire roughly, "Please see that they are comfortable."

"Yes, of course, old friend," Colin whispered, clapping a hand on Brandon's back, as much affection as he felt he could demonstrate towards the werewolf, given the severity of their situation.

"Also," Brandon began, his expression still as stone, but his voice faltering slightly as he spoke, "Please keep my wives safe...if I don't return."

"That goes without saying," Colin muttered. Brandon reached an arm out and he squeezed the vampire's upper arm slightly in thanks, before he turned to his sister. Dinah nodded.

"We're ready," she said quietly.

"Claude? You good?" Sookie turned towards her friend, her eyes filled with concern, but her voice firm. Claude nodded.

"Good is not the word that would best convey what I'm currently experiencing, Sookie, but yes. I am ready," he answered, still pale.

"Alright," Sookie smiled over at the rest of her small party, "Well let's get a move on then, y'all."

The wolves stepped towards her. Nora did as well, rolling her eyes. Claude grimaced, as he motioned for the five of them to join hands. Claude bowed his head and clenched his jaw, and a bright bubble of fiery orange light surrounded them. In a second they were all gone.

...

They met no trouble on their way into the city of Houston. They saw sign of life on the road, no animals crossing and no other cars driving by. They said very little to each other in the two hour drive at a higher speed than would have been acceptable before the impending end of the world as they knew it, both trying to unwind from the chaos of the hours preceding, and Tara cautiously peering through the windows of the car, gripping her crossbow in her hands everyone and then, as if warning any potential dangers that may want to make themselves known that she was not fucking around.

Pam kept her blue-gray eyes on the road, inwardly processing the magnitude of the words Tara had confessed to her earlier; words she knew would come eventually, fully aware of what Tara felt for her because of the bond that they shared, and feeling very much the same herself, but never having heard those words spoken to her in any believable sense. She had long ago come to terms with the probability that she never would, but having heard them now and from someone she adored and respected; from someone she would gladly kill and die for; it was paralyzing. She had long ago figured as a certainty that she would never utter the words to another, but he hadn't know her progeny then.

She loved Tara, of that she had no doubt, but putting that love into words; into the physical processes that would moisten her tongue, and develop vibrations in her throat, and move her jaw, all of which allowing those words to form on her pink lips, was proving impossible, and she hated herself for it. She was letting doubt get the better of her. Doubt in her worth and doubt in her ability to love. She was telling herself that Tara deserved someone who could say those words; that Tara deserved better than her.

As they barreled through Katy, Texas, a suburb just outside of Houston, Pam finally spoke, breaking the silence that had overwhelmed the cab of the truck.

"Houston's coming up," she said, "Look alive."

"Heh, that's rich," Tara smirked at her, earning her a quick glance and a grin from her maker.

"About another hour until we get to Beaumont," Pam continued, flexing her neck as she inwardly prepared for what their next Texas city might have in store for them.

Tara noticed her unease and she reached over to rest a hand on the older woman's thigh. Pam tensed at the contact and Tara drew her hand back with a sigh, but she said nothing. She was thankfully not given much time to dwell on Pam's reaction to her touch as the phone that she still carried on her chirped. Both women jumped at the sound and Tara instantly dug into her pocket for the source of it.

_Wait for me in Beaumont._

"Is it Eric?!" Pam asked, her eyes wide and her voice shaking slightly as she turned to her progeny.

"Yeah, he..." Tara started, but Pam snatched the phone from her hand and she quickly read the text and responded, "_Geez_, Pam," Tara mumbled and she sighed before settling back into her seat and fixing her eyes on the road ahead of them.

The phone chirped again with Eric's response to Pam's text and she immediately typed another before setting the phone down, sparing a glance at Tara as she did, having felt they trickles of despair that had slowly crept through the younger woman's body.

"Tar...?" Pam started, but Tara's quiet voice cut her off.

"He said to 'Wait for me...'," Tara whispered sadly, "Not 'Wait for us...'."

"Oh. Right," Pam breathed, her own expression clouding over with grief, which she quickly squashed,

"That doesn't have to mean anything," she said then, reaching for Tara's hand and pulling it back towards her thigh.

It was a small gesture, but it caused a thick wave of relief to wash through Tara.

"Right," the younger vampire sighed.

They neared Houston and as the cityscape came into view, both women were at full attention. Tara's crossbow stayed clenched within her dark fingers and Pam moved her pistol within easy reach. They both prepared for the worst as they sped through the massive city, scanning the urban landscape for any sign of danger.

Houston looked very much as Austin had; ruined. Cars, truck and tanks had been abandoned on the roads, and smoke pillowed upward through the night sky from any number of charred or still burning buildings. Power lines had been ripped to the ground and they bounced up and down on the side walks, shooting sparks outward. Bodies lined the streets. They hung from car doors, they hung from building windows, all drained of their life by the vampires who had torn through the area.

There were no people. No werewolves, no vampires. The city was devoid of intelligent life, save for the one stray cat Tara spotted running through a gas station parking lot off of the access road.

"Fuck," Tara whispered sadly.

Pam said nothing in response. She just kept driving, fast, but her jaw was hard and her eyes were wide. Houston, one of the largest cities in the United States, was completely destroyed from what they could see through the windows of the truck that carried them. If there was anyone left in the city, they were hiding, or they were hunting.

Pam didn't care to find out who, or which of the categories they fit into. She wanted to get them to Beaumont; she wanted to get to her maker. She wanted to see a friendly face, though she knew she would not be able to offer one up in return. She really wanted to get them some back up, and she really wanted to get Tara somewhere safe, though she wasn't sure that Beaumont would serve as such. She wanted to get her progeny fed. She wanted to get herself fed. She wanted a moment to rest, so she just kept driving, pushing the large pick up as fast it would go.

They made it through the city with no interruption, though neither of them relaxed in the slightest until the first sign of the industrial town that was their destination came into view. Tara sighed in seeing it, and Pam glanced over at her, taking her eyes off the road for the first time in over an hour.

"Nearly there," she said calmly, and Tara smiled over at her, nodding silently.

Pam slowed the truck as they approached their exit and she took it swiftly, maneuvering the vehicle down the access road, and finally turning it into the deserted parking lot of a large truck stop. The business's windows had been smashed and it's lights were out. She parked the truck, but she left the engine running as they both peered through their windows. Tara squinted and she gasped lightly.

"There," Tara said as she jerked her body forward slightly, nodding towards bushes at the far end of the the parking lot, "A light. It flashed. Twice."

"Where?" Pam nodded, her eyes focusing in on the spot Tara had gestured towards. She saw another flash of light then. It was their contact. She reached for their bag, meeting Tara's wide eyes as she turned towards her, "Lets go," she growled, switching the truck's ignition off.

Tara pulled the strap of her crossbow over her shoulder. Without a word she climbed down from the truck and stepped towards the front of it where she met Pam. The moved towards the bushes quickly, but cautiously, both scanning the area around them for any movement. They reached the brush, but they saw no one.

Pam noticed it first.

"Seriously?" she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Are those motherfucking breadcrumbs?" Tara whispered, glaring at the trail of breadcrumbs at their feet.

"Yes," Pam hissed, "Those are motherfucking breadcrumbs."

"Well," Tara sighed, "That's annoying."

"Indeed," Pam grumbled, glancing over at Tara, before nodding towards the trail, "C'mon."

Tara sighed and followed her across the a small clearing on the other side of the bushes that led into a thick wood. They pushed and rummaged through branches and brush, leaves crinkling under their feet. They struggled to keep sight of the tiny pieces of bread that served as their beacon, but they managed, and in about ten minutes they came upon another clearing, on which a rusted Airstream trailer stood.

Red and green christmas lights had been strung around its two small windows, powered by a generator that purred to their left, and a mold stained white awning stretched out from it's side, over two black milk crates resting on the ground.

A man sat on top of one. His fingers pinched the end of a half smoked splif that he was raising to his lips as the two vampires came into view. He wore torn up blue jeans, a stained white undershirt, work boots, and a white stetson on the top of his head. The last of the breadcrumbs rested on the ground at his feet.

The vampires could tell that he was human from his scent, and Tara noticed just how hungry she was at that realization. Her gums ached as her fangs threatened to shoot down. Pam turned to her and she placed a pale hand on the younger woman's waist in an effort to calm her. Tara's wide eyes met hers and a pained smile formed on her lips.

"You Northman's people?" the man grumbled at them from where he sat, causing both women to jump a little and turn their attention back to him.

"We are," Pam nodded, eyeing him cautiously.

"Ah'm Jed," he muttered then, taking another drag from his splif. He did not rise to greet them, instead he simply jerked his head back towards the trailer door, "Y'all can go on inside. Head to the bathroom, close the door behind ya and flush the crapper."

Pam arched a curious eyebrow at him, and Tara arched one at her, but neither of them asked the man to clarify his instructions to them. They moved toward the trailer's entrance in silence, watching the man as they passed him. He kept his eyes directed ahead of him and he seemed to pay them no mind. Pam eased the trailed door open and stepped inside, Tara following closely behind her. Both women allowed themselves a moment to gawk at the disturbing christmas decorations that surrounded them and the layers of dust and muck that covered every inch of the space.

"Man, I don't wanna go anywhere near this guy's crapper," Tara whispered and Pam smirked at her, stepping towards what she assumed was the bathroom door.

She pried the flimsy door open and they were assaulted by the putrid smell of human waste. They both had to take a step back. Well over a dozen flies buzzed around their heads. Pam collected herself, lifting one hand up to cover her mouth and nose, and pulling Tara towards her and into the bathroom with the other. Tara shut the door behind them and Pam raised a high heeled foot up to the toilet handle, pushing it down roughly while gripping Tara's upper arm to steady herself in the tiny room.

The toilet did not flush. Instead the panel on the floor where it stood started rising, powered by hydraulics that hissed. The commode was elevated two feet off the ground, revealing a metal ladder that seemed to lead to a dark underground.

"Well," Pam breathed.

"Right?" Tara added quietly, before chuckling, "I wonder if that toilet's ever flushed."

Pam grinned at her progeny as she pulled their duffel bag off of her shoulder and she pushed it through the opening in front of them. She watch it drop down into the darkness and out of view. She sighed.

"Back underground we go," Pam drawled, rolling her eyes before glancing up at the younger woman as she reached for the second step on the ladder.

She started climbing down as fast as her vampire abilities would allow and Tara followed her without a word. When she reached the bottom she found her maker pulling the bag back over her shoulder. They were alone in a what appeared to be rather comfortable, and rather tidy, living area. A large brown suede sectional couch was positioned in the center of the room and a sleek slate gray rod iron table with a glass top sat in front of it. One whole red brick wall in the room was made up of bookshelves, upon which a vast number of classic literary texts, historical tomes, and scientific journals were neatly organized. On the opposite wall, directly in front of the massive couch, hung a large flat screen plasma television that was powered off at the moment.

The room was dimly lit by a few candles of various sizes that rested in the center of the coffee table. Two pint glasses had been left for them, as well as a six pack of Tru Blood, O Negative.

"A comfy looking couch, and bloods. Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming," Tara whispered, gazing at the Tru Blood. Her stomach rumbled audibly as she reached back behind her head to free her hair from the tie that held it, scratching at her scalp and ruffling her black locks, "Ow! What the fuck, Pam?!"

"You said to pinch you," Pam purred, winking at her progeny as she started moving towards the sofa.

"It's a fucking figure of speech," Tara growled back at her through gritted teeth, rubbing the tender spot in her forearm where Pam had pinched her, hard.

"Come here," Pam ordered as she approached the couch, rubbing a hand over it's soft material as she rounded it and sat down in front of the bottles of Tru Bloods, reaching for one.

"Nuh uh. You're mean," Tara muttered, faking a pout. She stepped towards the bookshelf wall and eyed it's contents.

"Tara, come here," Pam ordered more firmly as she twisted open the bottle in her hand, casting a warning glance in Tara's direction.

Tara rolled her eyes and sighed. She stepped towards her maker then, rounding the back of the couch swiftly until she was directly in front of Pam and without any hesitation she straddled her, pressing as much of her own body against the other woman's as she could. Her eyes bore into Pam's as she brushed a soft kiss on her lips, and then another on her forehead. Pam released a small and quiet gasp and her eyes fluttered closed as Tara's lips moved to her cheek, planting tiny kisses down it, until she reached Pam's jaw, where her kisses turning into tiny licks.

Tara's hands ran up and down the sides of Pam's torso and waist, squeezing lightly every few seconds. Pam was frozen in place, struggling to maintain her hold on the now open bottle of blood that she held in her one hand, while clawing at the couch cushion underneath the other. She relished in the feeling of her progeny's body flush against her; the feeling of Tara's hands and her mouth.

Tara bucked her hips into Pam lightly, moaning quietly as she did, and Pam's free hand rose up from the couch to the younger woman's dark cheek.

"Tara," she whispered, "You need to feed, lover."

Tara claimed her mouth then and Pam welcomed her. They kissed each other deeply, both moaning into each other's mouths. Pam's hand ran down the length of Tara's neck, to her chest, and she cupped one of Tara's breasts, causing Tara to hiss, growl, and deepen their kiss.

Pam eventually tore their mouths apart, gasping as both of Tara's hands gripped the flesh of her waist and she bucked into her again.

"Tara," Pam breathed, snaking her hand up Tara's upper body and raking her fingers into the younger vampire's dark hair, scratching her scalp lightly. Tara leaned into her touch, "Tara, you need to feed," she repeated sweetly, grinning at the younger woman who's eyes were closed in worship of her maker's touch.

"I just...need this minute," Tara whispered, turning her head slightly until her lips found the palm of Pam's hand. She kissed it. She grabbed the bottle from Pam's other hand and she stretched to set is back on the table behind her. She turned back to her maker and she buried her face in the crook of her neck, "I just need this minute with you."

Pam relented. Her grin widened into a bright smile and her stormy blue eyes shone down at her progeny. She was completely entranced by her in that moment, and Tara was completely lost in her revere.

Neither of them noticed the other person creeping into the room, silently watching them, a small smirk on her thin, cracked lips.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer**: I don't own True Blood. Duh. I make no money off this little ditty. Suing me would be real dick of you.

**Author's Note**: Another long wait for an update and another _SINCERE_ apology from me. I can't promise that the next one will come any sooner, but I can promise that I will try. I want to thank everyone who's reviewed, and I want to send special thanks to the few of you who checked in on me with kind words and well wishes. Life has continued fucking me, to be honest, haha, but I think...I thiiiiink, it has maybe decided to give me a bit of a break as of recently. Hoping so! Anywho, here is my belated X-Mas gift to you wonderful readers. Please review, 'cause they inspire me like little else does. Enjoy!

**Ch. 15**

Pam felt the the few stone blocks that made up what remained of the thick walls she'd spent well over a century constructing crumble as she bathed in the thick waves of adoration and contentment that flowed into her from Tara's end of their bond. She sighed, burying her head into the nook of Tara's neck, as Tara had hers. She trailed the tips of her fingers up along the younger woman's strong dark arms, an action which caused Tara to tremble and whimper into her ear.

In that moment, for the first time in decades, she let herself believe that things could actually be okay. In that moment she let herself believe that the universe had forced Tara into her life, and into her care, so that she could make everything okay. In that one moment she let herself forget about any and everything that wasn't her argumentative, reckless, amazingly bullheaded and immensely beautiful, progeny.

"Ya'd do well to listen to yer maker, youngin'," their host said then, still smirking deviously as she stepped into view, "Y'all still have a ways to go."

Tara's head shot up and her fangs descended with a pop. Pam whirled her head around, her own fangs clicking down as she did, and her hands grasping Tara's hips protectively. Both vampires glared at the small woman who had just made herself known to them, and who had effectively disrupted the first moment of peace either of them had felt in many hours.

"Now, now. Y'all can both settle on back down. Yer safe here," the woman chirped, her country accent thick, as she briskly made her way across the room.

She approached the coffee table and she reached for the bottle of Tru Blood Tara had set aside moments before. She held it out towards the young vampire, but Tara simply eyed it suspiciously. The woman appeared completely unafraid, which both vampires considered strange, given that she was ancient, quite small and rather frail looking. Her hair was silver and white. Her skin was, dry, wrinkled and translucently thin. Her eyes were clear and sky blue. They twinkled smilingly at the vampires, who still glared at her as if she posed a threat. It was obvious to them that her mind was keen, which made her lack of any fear for her safety in their presence all the more bewildering.

"_Who the fuck are you_?" Pam snarled slowly and menacingly, her eyes fixed on the human's throat.

"I'm Pearl, honey," the woman answered Pam sweetly, "Live here. That's my couch y'all were fixin' to..."

"That's not the name I was given," Pam growled, cutting the human off as her eyes narrowed further, into deadly slits, "I was told I would be meeting a..."

"Cam?" Pearl interjected.

"Cameron," Pam nodded, her expression unchanging, but her tense musculature relaxing just slightly underneath Tara.

"Well, we'd expected y'all a coupla hours ago. Our group wanted to make it to the big easy 'fore day break," the tiny old woman explained, settling herself down onto the couch a few feet away from the pair. She fidgeted with the fabric of the plush pink she wore robe with her free hand.

"We got a message from yer maker just an hour ago. He said y'all'd had a helluva time on the road, and were runnin' a little later than expected. Told Cam to head on out and said he'd meet ya'll here. My boy Jed can drive y'all to where the rest of 'em are goin'. We got some'a them travel coffins ready for ya," she finished.

"The sun's not up for another five hours," Pam said coldly, her expression finally morphing from one of violent hatefulness, to one of mere irritation. She retracted her fangs, "We could have made it there."

"Naw, sugar," Pearl muttered solemnly, shaking her head, "Ya got delayed by the stragglers comin' this far, but the worst of it's just cross that border'."

"Right. _Whatever_," Pam grumbled after pausing to consider the woman's words. She turned her eyes to look up at Tara, who's fangs were still bared, but who's expression towards the human had softened, "Tara. Feed," she whispered then, squeezing the flesh of Tara's hips gently with the hands that still rested on them.

Tara turned to her face her. She graced her maker with a small smile and a quick nod, before she pried her body away from Pam's and plopped down onto the couch next to her. She retracted her fangs before turning towards the old woman who sat to her right and reaching for the bottle of blood that Pearl still held in her hand.

"Thanks," Tara said quietly. She downed the contents of the bottle in three quick gulps and she set it down empty on the table in front of her before reaching for another.

"Atta girl," Pearl nodded towards the young vampire affectionately as Tara downed her second bottle of blood and reached for a third. The old woman grabbed another bottle and extended it towards Pam insistently, "Ya best drink some too, honey, or it'll be gone before ya know it."

Pam took the bottle from her without a word. She twisted it open proceeded to sip its contents with a grimace. Tara set her third empty container back on the table and settled back into the couch, momentarily satisfied.

"I 'spect that viking'll be rollin' on up in the next coupla hours," Pearl mumbled, peering at the thin wristwatch that decorated her wrist. Her brow wrinkled brow furrowed slightly as she proceeded to shift and dig her bony hands between the couch cushions beneath her, "Now I've got a date with the QVC, but I went ahead and set up one of our guest rooms for y'all, figuring ya might wanna unwind a bit. I'm guessing from the way y'all were treating this here couch that I wasn't mistaken in that assumption, so why don't y'all git," she ordered, her eyes sparkling at them knowingly as she gestured back in the direction from which she had appeared, "Down the hall, third door on the right. It's real cozy."

Pam gawked at her. Tara smiled shyly, dropping her eyes to her lap immediately.

"Well," Pam drawled then, glancing over at Tara as she started rising to her feet, "Tara, let's leave Miss Pearl to her entertainment. Thank her for her hospitality," she finished quickly and quietly as she stepped away from the couch

Tara beamed as she started following her maker around the couch and across the room.

"Thank you, ma'am," Tara turned back towards the old woman who had finally found her remote control under the couch cushion from which Tara had just risen, "For...um...your hospitality."

"Oh, think nothing of it, darlin'," Pearl cooed back at them, "Y'all just...try to keep it down. Them walls ain't soundproofed."

Tara chuckled, turning towards the hallway and eventually stepping through the door that her maker had left open for her. She closed it behind her, and in the blink of an eye she found her back slammed up against its neighboring wall. She smiled.

Pam's hold on her body forbade much in the way of movement. Her muscles were taught, the desire she felt overwhelming her senses, but the kisses she placed on Tara's lips were soft and slow, as if she were very intentionally trying to memorize the feeling of her progeny's mouth on her own. She took Tara's bottom lip between hers and she suckled it. Tara's eyes fluttered closed at the action and she sighed.

Pam inhaled deeply, searching for the scent that lingered underneath the muck and blood dried on her progeny's surface. It was there; tobacco, peaches and the arousal that was pooling at Tara's center; a combination that Pam had become addicted to and one that she was elated to have a moment to truly savor.

Tara's eyes opened slowly. The two of them stared into each other for a moment. Tara could see a hint of sadness in Pam's stormy blue orbs. She could see the hint of emotion that she had felt through their bond a moment before; a flicker of something hidden by the avalanche of desire; a feeling she hadn't quite been able to make out.

"Hey," she whispered, reaching a hand up to Pam's cheek and caressing it lightly. Pam's eyelids flickered closed and she leaned into Tara's touch, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Pam answered her quietly before pressing another soft kiss on her lips, "I just..." she started, but she paused before finishing her thought.

"What?" Tara pressed gently and with a warm smile.

"I just want the apocalyptic bullshit to be over," she murmured, kissing Tara again and sighing quietly, "I want to take you somewhere snowy. I want to fuck you senseless by a warm fire...I want..." she stopped speaking again, not quite sure if she should say the rest of what was on her mind. She buried her head into Tara's neck and she kissed the flesh there sweetly and repeatedly.

Tara grinned at her and she kissed the side of her head.

"You want...?" she asked quietly, but encouragingly, her thumb tracing a small path onto the skin of Pam's neck now.

"Tell me that you love me again," Pam said, her voice nearly silent, barely a whisper, but Tara heard every word; every letter.

"I love you, Pam," Tara told her evenly, without any hesitation. She pulled her head away a little and tried meet her maker's eyes, but Pam kept her face hidden in the crook of her neck, burying it deeper even. Tara sighed and smiled again, her arms wrapping around her maker's frame and holding her tightly.

"Say it again," Pam breathed after a moment.

"I love you," Tara whispered into her pale ear, kissing her earlobe.

Pam sighed and Tara could feel the corners of her maker's lips form a smile on her skin. She finally lifted her head and her mouth captured Tara's in a powerful kiss. She broke it after several moments. Her eyes bore into Tara's as they fluttered open.

"Say it again, Tara Mae," Pam drawled quietly, but firmly, a wicked gleam in her eye now and a smirk on her lips.

"I fucking love you, Pamela," she whispered, her own mouth grinning seductively.

Pam smiled and she growled as she attacked Tara's mouth with hers again. Tara whimpered into it as Pam's hands trailed down her back, reaching her ass and gripping the flesh there. Pam deepened the kiss as her hands continued downward to Tara's thighs. She aggressively hoisted her progeny's legs up. Tara wrapped her thighs around Pam's hips and she squeezed them a little, holding herself in place. Pam bucked her hips into Tara's center and two sets of fangs clicked down. Tara's pierced Pam's pillowy lower lip and causing blood droplets to seep into her mouth. She could taste Pam's need for her in the metallic red drops.

"Fuck me," she purred roughly as she nursed Pam's wounded lower lip, her soft tongue collecting the last traces of blood that wept from the puncture as it healed, "Fuck me here. There's no fire, but there's a bed," she finished, grinning.

"That'll have to do," Pam grunted as she ripped Tara's body away from the wall, her hands still firmly gripping the younger woman's thighs.

Tara chuckled. Her smile widened and warmed at Pam as the blonde turned and carried her towards the queen-sized canopied bed that sat in the corner of the quaintly decorated room. Pam settled Tara's bottom down on the plush peach colored quilt and she crawled over her, trapping her progeny's mouth in another ferocious kiss.

Her pale hands snaked up the dark, firm flesh under Tara's t-shirt and she pulled the now cruddy cotton garb over Tara's head. She immediately brought her mouth to the valley between the younger woman's breasts and she licked there, drawing her tongue up languidly as the fingers from both of her hands gripped the fabric of Tara's bra that still covered her breasts. She pulled the cloth down, exposing Tara's dark nipples, and she smirked devilishly, her eyes raising to catch Tara's lust filled gaze as she took one peak into her mouth, warming and moistening it with her tongue. Tara gasped at the sensation, her sex growing wetter and throbbing more intensely with every second that passed.

She bucked her hips upward into Pam's and Pam moved her mouth to Tara's other nipple, gifting it with the same adoring attention as her hands moved downward, unbuckling Tara's belt and unbuttoning her pants. Tara grunted and huffed quietly as she shimmied her hips in an attempt to help remove yet another barrier between her skin and her maker's. Pam grinned up at her before slowly kissing her way down her progeny's toned stomach. Her hands managed to pull Tara's pants and underwear halfway down her thighs, and Tara's legs quickly finish the job, kicking off her shoes and jeans roughly.

Tara reached around her back and unclasped her bra. She tossed it to the side and she propped herself up on her elbows so that she might have a better view of Pam's exploration of her. She was greeted with the sight of Pam's eyes shining up at her, her mouth smiling brightly as it moved towards her dripping center.

"You..." Pam drawled lazily, her mouth hovering over Tara's clit, the vibration traveling across the millimeters of space between lips and swollen nub causing Tara's eyes to roll into the back of her head, and her mouth to gape open slightly.

"...are..." Pam continued, pausing to lick Tara's clit once, very lightly. Tara gasped, every inch of her trembling at the feeling of Pam's mouth on her sex. She brought her knees up, bracing her heels on the bed and spreading her legs to allow Pam as much access to her as she could. Pam smiled up at her again,

"...so...fucking..._attractive_," she finished as she enclosed her lips over Tara's clit and she suckled it gently, saliva filling her mouth as she finally indulged. She moaned quietly in appreciation, and Tara cried out, struggling to keep herself propped up and watching. Pam moved her lips from Tara's aching nub and she looked up at her lover. Tara was watching her again, her brow furrowed, her mouth still slightly ajar, panting tiny pants of anticipation.

"So fucking attractive," Pam drawled up at her and Tara smirked.

"Yeah?" Tara choked quietly, her hips bucking a little as Pam's lower lip grazed her slick folds.

"Mmmhmm," Pam purred, eliciting a guttural moan from her progeny as she kissed her pussy tenderly.

"Fuck," Tara hissed, her eyelids pressing closed and the juices collecting at her center tripling, "Fuck me," she muttered.

"Hmm?" Pam hummed sweetly, glancing up at Tara as she kissed her again, her tongue darting out for a quick second and licking her right at her center.

"Fuck!" Tara cried out and she panted more audibly, "Fuck me, please."

"Mmm...okay, my baby," Pam murmured, her eyes sparkling as she grabbed Tara's knees and forcefully pulled them over her shoulders, lifting the younger woman's ass off the bed and pulling her cunt flush against her mouth.

She licked her more firmly then, repeatedly, lapping up her wetness, her tongue entering Tara with every stroke. Tara lost her battle to keep herself propped up then and her head fell back onto the bed. Her hands gripped at the quilt that lay underneath her and she breathed out loud whimpers with everyone of Pam's strokes.

Pam buried her tongue in Tara's pussy, curling it slightly as she did and Tara's breathing hitched, every one of her muscles tensing. Her maker withdrew her tongue quickly and she moved it up towards her clit again, flicking it and sucking it gently before pulling away.

"Tara?" Pam called her name sweetly.

"Y...yeah?" Tara answered, raising her head slightly to meet her maker's eyes.

"Tell me that you love me again," Pam whispered, kissing Tara's clit, the index finger from one hand now tracing tiny circles at her slick opening.

Tara smirked up at her.

"I...fucking...love you," she panted.

"I fucking love you too," Pam whispered, smirking, her eyes fluttering closed as she lowered her lips onto Tara's clit and proceeded to circle it firmly with her wet tongue, plunging three fingers into Tara's sopping wet cunt as she did.

Tara screamed in ecstasy as Pam filled her up. Her hips rocked in perfect motion with each of Pam's following thrusts, her voice crying out and her clit swelling a little more as Pam nursed it.

"Fuck! Fuck! Oh fuuuck, Pam," she cried out, bucking, her cunt tightening around Pam's hand as she came minutes later, causing Pam to moan deeply over her clit, "Oh, Jesus...fuuuck!"

Pam pulled her fingers out almost completely as Tara tensed and shook. She plunged them in again quickly, repeating the action over and over again, flicking and sucking her progeny's clit as she did. Tara's body rocked and trembled in her arms. She cried out, losing herself and her sense of everything around her as another powerful orgasm claimed. Her pussy clamped down around Pam's hand again and warm fluid wept over it.

After a few moments Pam eased her hand from Tara's center, very gently. She proceeded to lick the insides of her progeny's thighs and her sopping wet mound clean, causing Tara to jerk violently and moan. The younger woman dropped her knees down around her maker's waist and she curled her body up, letting her post-orgasmic tremors take her. Tara's eyes her were clamped shut and her mouth uttered tiny quiet whines as Pam moved out from between her legs and crawled up the length of her. She laid down next to her progeny, taking Tara into her arms, and Tara nuzzled her face into the crook of her neck.

"Hey," Pam whispered.

Tara breathed out a spent chuckle.

"Hey," she stuttered, pressing a shaky kiss on Pam's clavicle.

Pam was content, despite the wet pulsing of her own sex, to hold Tara, and relish in the peace of the moment, not knowing when they would get another like it. She was ready to ignore her own desire, gratified at having had the opportunity to grant her progeny with pleasure beyond words, and with words that she hadn't known would come when they had.

Tara had other plans, however. She sighed into Pam. A final few shivers coursed through her body as she slid her hand under Pam's sleek shirt. Her dark fingers trailed a path along the pale skin of Pam's torso. She sighed again, at a loss for words, action a much better outlet for the feelings she needed to express. She kissed Pam's neck slowly, causing Pam's breathing to hitch and her lithe figure to tremble.

She lifted her head from the crook of Pam's neck and her lip's found the other woman's They kissed deeply, Tara's hand now doing the work of lifting Pam's shirt away from her waist and up around her head. Pam was freed of it and of her bra in a seconds time and the passion in their kiss intensified as the flesh of their chests pressed against each other.

Tara cupped Pam's right breast, pinching a pink nipple as she pulled herself up, easing her body over the older woman's. She brought her mouth down to suckle Pam's other nipple, and Pam whimpered at the feel of Tara's wet and warm mouth enclosing the hard little mound of flesh. She whimpered again when Tara abandoned her worship of her breasts, but Tara ignored the pitiful sound as she placed quick kisses down the middle of Pam's belly, her hands rather forcefully moving to unbutton her maker's leather pants.

Tara knew that Pam wouldn't appreciate her ripping the pants off her body, given the fact that she had nothing else to wear, and they still had a world to save. She suppressed that urge, but she growled as she tugged them halfway down her thighs. Pam grinned down at her, but that grin faded and her expression became pained as Tara's tongue immediately extended itself over her maker's pink clit. She choked out a cry and Tara smirked as she forced her pants the rest of the way off and tossed them aside along with Pam's black pumps.

Tara hiked Pam's legs up around her waist and Pam linked her ankles around her progeny, crying out again as Tara trust into her. Tara brought her face back up to Pam's and their mouths crashed together in a firey kiss, which muffled Pam's repeated cries as Tara pumped her fingers into her, slowly and very deliberately.

"You're so fucking wet for me," Tara murmured onto Pam's lips, sliding her thumb up to her makers clit and rubbing it gently.

"I know..." Pam muttered between heavy pants, smiling all the while, her eyes sparkling into her progeny's seductively, "It's...oh fuck..." her voice trailed off for a moment as Tara curled the three fingers that were inside of her. She quickened the speed of her thrusts, earning herself a slick gush of added moisture, "...it's ridiculous..." Pam finished and her voice broke into another pained whimper.

Tara fucked her fast and rhythmically, her thumb never venturing from Pam's clit. It worked firm circles over the swollen bit of flesh. Her free hand tugged Pam's blonde mane free from the ponytail that had held it up thus far on their journey. She raked her fingers through her maker's hair, gathering it between her fingers and pulling it back roughly. Her mouth moved to Pam's neck and she kissed her there, the tips of her fangs teasing the pale flesh.

"I want..." Pam breathed then, her voice catching as her pussy gushed a little more and opened up for Tara, "...all of you," she murmured into Tara's hair, running her own fingers through it and tugging as she braced herself, "I want to feel...all of you in me," she said before crying out again in pleasure.

She didn't have to ask twice. Tara pulled her fingers out and she repositioned her hand at Pam's opening instantly. She eased herself in, Pam's pussy providing just enough lubrication for her to manage with caution. All five of her fingers joined together were in as deep as her knuckles and when she punctured her maker's jugular with her pearly incisors, Pam's cunt expanded allowing her hand the rest of the way in. Pam released a guttural scream, the feeling of Tara filling her completely combined with the erogenous ache produced by her fangs and her feeding; the pain and the pleasure; it was almost too much for her to bear.

Tara growled, tugging on Pam's hair again as she fed, the sweet metallic taste of Pam's blood filling her mouth and coating her throat. Her hand moved gently at first, twisting and pushing into Pam slowly. They very quickly found their rhythm, however; Pam's body moving with Tara's hand in perfect synchrony.

"Oh my god...fuck," Pam breathed as her arms hugged Tara shoulders to her chest and her head to her neck, "Tara..." she whispered between cries and pained gasps, her body rocking along with her progeny's as she felt herself getting closer to her release.

Tara teased Pam's inner walls with the tips of her fingers as she thrust again. She knew Pam was nearly there. She curled the tips of her digits again with her final thrust.

Pam came then, her eyes pressing shut, a glittery burst of color flashing beneath her lids. Her pussy expanded and poured slick fluid over Tara's wrist before her clamping down around the younger woman's whole hand. Every inch of her quaked. She cried out repeatedly as she spasmed. She screamed and her muscles locked as her pussy clenched down again and released another gush of her sexual juices.

Tara slid her hand out of Pam as gently as she could, eliciting another agonized cry and a short series of violent jerks from her maker. Pam's arms and legs tightened around her, gripping her tightly, as if Tara's body were the one thing keeping her in their world.

Tara removed her fangs from the Pam's jugular vein, licking the small puncture wounds that she had placed clean of the blood that still seeped from them. She kissed the holes sweetly as they started to heal and she wrapped her arms around Pam's torso, holding her tightly as Pam continued to shiver, pant and whimper softly.

They held each other for several moments, completely oblivious to anything outside of the mass of limbs and naked flesh that their entwined body created. Eric's voice on the other side of their door didn't register with either of them, nor did his first two knocks. The third did.

"Pamela?" the viking called out apologetically as he knocked.

"Oh fuck me," Pam huffed, her voice shaking.

"_I did_," Tara quipped, laughing quietly into her ear, her face buried in a mess of flaxen hair.

"Mmmm," Pam purred and smiled wickedly at Tara, who lifted her eyes to meet her maker's adoring gaze, "Yes. Yes you did. And brilliantly," she whispered.

"You love me," Tara murmured as she claimed her maker's mouth, kissing her deeply. Pam uttered a small cry onto Tara's lips as she welcomed the younger woman's tongue.

"I do," Pam whimpered quietly when their lips parted.

"Pam?" Eric called out as he knocked again, a little more forcefully and much less apologetically than the time before.

"_FUCK_! _TWO MINUTES_!" Pam shrieked violently towards the door.

"_GODDAMMIT_! _HANG ON_!" Tara hollered as well.

They both listened for any argument, there was only silence for a few moments.

"Take three. Don't dawdle. We have work to do," Eric commanded after his long pause. His footsteps were heard retreating down the hall.

"Sluts," Lafayette added firmly as he fell in line behind Eric, a soft smile on his lips.

"The fuck...?" Tara whispered, her brow furrowing and expression clouding over with confusion.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** True Blood is not mine, and I make no money off this here story.

**Author's Note: **

Hey all! Here is the next chapter, and again, I'm sorry for the wait. 50 hour work weeks, and the flu have kept me indisposed and uninspired in general, haha, but I'm excited about what's coming up in the next chapters, so hoping that translates into long nights of writing. PLEASE review and let me know what you guys think! It helps my muse ;). Enjoy!

**Ch. 16**

"Wait, so what exactly are we supposed to do with this bitch's remains when we find them?" Dinah asked, looking to Nora who walked a foot ahead, "I mean, we destroy them? Aren't they just ash?"

"Ash and bone," Nora answered her, not bothering to turn back to address the wolf bitch. Her eyes were fixed on the dark woods ahead of her, woods the group had been trekking through for over an hour now, "We'll crush the bone and spread the lot."

"Spread them?" Sookie spoke now, a frown on her face as she attempted to untangle a twig that had gotten caught up in her blonde hair, "Just like that?"

"We'll spread them out over a few different planes," Claude answered in a whisper, "So we can ensure that she cannot reassemble them. Some words will have to be said. Words I hope the vampire knows, as I do not," he muttered, looking to the back of Nora's head as he dodged a low hanging branch from which an unsettling fluorescent yellow gel dripped.

"Um..." Nora's brow furrowed as she turned to meet the fairy's eyes, "Well, I have an idea."

Brandon growled quietly and his eyes flashed a bright yellow. He glared at her. Nora glared back at him.

"Don't you growl at me," she mumbled defensively, "I spent centuries heavily invested in seeing that this sort of thing would never happen. I spent centuries trying to bring her to life. This is uncharted territory for me too," she finished, turning her focus back to the wood and brush before her.

The wolf's sister reached her arm over to him and she squeezed his shoulder gently.

The group continued walking in the dead of night and through a forest that didn't seem to end. The light of three blue moons shone down on them, offering the only assistance in their passage.

When they landed after departing from the safety of Colin's cave, they landed roughly; falling from the sky and through branches, leaves and goo. None of them had any idea which way they should head and nothing that surrounded them gave them any indication that one direction would prove more fruitful than the other. The wolves smelled nothing helpful in the gentle breeze that flowed around them; just alien forest and marsh.

Sookie had sweetly suggested they vote on which way to go; left, right, forward or backward. They had settled on forward after many a groan and eye roll, and they were still marching in that general direction, each growing more irritable as the seconds ticked away.

Sookie huffed.

"Y'all," she called out, managing to grab everyone's attention, but careful not to let her voice grow too loud, "Maybe we should...I dunno...head right now? Or left? We don't seem to be getting anywhere."

The group stopped waking and turned to her. Nora sighed.

"Right," she whispered, frowning for a moment before cocking her head and stepping to their right, "Right."

They walked for a total of about three minutes before Brandon stopped. Dinah came to halt immediately after he did and both pairs of werewolf eyes glowed yellow.

"You guys..." Dinah groaned, her expression growing worried.

Brandon was already morphing into his wolf form and his sister was taking slow steps towards him. The rest of the group gawked at them, eyes wide.

"Wha..." Nora started, but before she could finish voicing her query, the faint breeze that they had felt traveling around them their entire time in this strange world, transformed into several quick, violent gusts. The smell in the air turned sour all of a sudden, a putrid combination of sulfur and dead flesh.

Claude and Sookie immediately moved towards the werewolves; Dinah was still standing on two legs, though her eyes glowed brightly and viciously. She heaved warning growls at the direction in which they had been walking. Brandon, on four legs, his thick coat black as night and clothes he'd worn discarded on the damp ground, circled the fairies and herded them behind him. His hackles were raised and he was snarling.

Nora's fangs descended and she hissed as both of her hands gripped the handles of the pistols that were holstered at her waist. Something was making itself known to them and it wasn't friendly. She inched back towards the rest of the group, panting and pissed now.

"What is it?" Sookie mumbled, rubbing the tips of her fingers together and silently praying that the power that coursed through her less and less as the days passed would not fail her now.

"I tried to tell you," Claude sighed through gritted teeth, his fists balled and his jaw set, "This place..."

There was a roar that cut him off. It was deep, animalistic, and it shook the most seasoned warrior of their group to her core. Nora drew her weapons. Dinah morphed then, becoming a smaller, leaner, fluffier version of her older brother.

"We should run," Claude choked.

Before they had a chance to, however, a creature flew down into their line of sight. It was grotesque; a humanoid figure elevated by enormous leathery bat wings. It was rough black flesh and exposed bone. It's cranium was massively distended and fangs of various sizes, all as black as the bone and flesh that made up the rest of the creature and razor sharp, jutted out from an equally exaggerated jaw. Taloned hands could be seen at the ends of its wings, and taloned feet pointed down towards the ground. The same florescent viscous material that the group had seen dripping from branches and bark on their journey thus far, seeped from what looked like multiple gashes in the monster's body, and it leaked from either side of its mouth.

"Fuck," Sookie muttered as two more of the creatures appeared hovering behind the first.

"We should...we should really, reaaally...run..." Claude insisted again, his voice elevating in his fear, and his feet back tracking as he watched the scene unfold.

The monsters screamed in unison as they flapped their wings, preparing for their charge. The wolves snarled, hunching down in anticipation. Nora aimed and she shot.

Two bullets cut through the air. The creature in front, who appeared to be in command of the other two, cut to the left slightly in order to dodge the blow, and while the side of its head was grazed, he was left mostly intact, though angrier. The second bullet buried itself into the eye socket of the monster to its left. It screamed; a scream that forced all of the earthling group to lurch back. It screeched as the metal tore through the tissue of its brain, and it started to seizure, the yellow fluid pouring from it's mouth in thick blobs. It exploded then, its neon gel raining from the sky and onto its comrades and their new foes in dense and sticky drops.

The other two roared and they propelled themselves towards the motley crew, as three more appeared in the air behind them.

"Now we run!" Nora sang loudly, turning towards Sookie and wrapping an arm around her waist. Sookie felt the familiar flip in her stomach as she was pulled through the area surrounding them at a speed that only a vampire centuries old could achieve.

Claude focused on a destination as far into the distance as his keen eyes could see and he was gone in a flash. The wolves split up, running away from the beasts in the air, in either direction, bracing and positioning themselves appropriately for the fight they knew was imminent.

When Nora saw Claude re-appear she deposited Sookie into his arms and she turned back to the face the creatures who were close now. She took aim at the first one that came into her line of sight and she started shooting, hoping for another kill, and finally achieving one after several rounds, the task much more difficult now that their enemies were on the move and ready for her.

Claude lifted his hand and emitted an intense burst of light from his fingertips towards the monster nearest to him. It flew back, jolted by the fairy's energy, but it recovered in a second's time and it charged again. Sookie tried to join in his attack, but her powers were not cooperating with her.

The first of the beasts was almost upon them when Nora holstered her guns and leapt onto it's back. It raged and shot up into the air as she proceeded to repeatedly bury the dagger that had been tucked into her boots into it's skull.

The three creatures who remained approached the fairies and Claude tried to fight them off again. Sookie did as well, finally able to harness enough energy to produce her light. Their efforts seemed completely wasted and did little to dissuade the monsters. A throaty growl was heard as the fairies winced in anticipation of the impact.

Their werewolf companions appeared suddenly; Brandon from the left and Dinah from the right. The wolves barreled into the monsters forcefully, and a horrifying brawl ensued. Jaws and claws snapped and tore at enemy flesh. Brandon's opponent tried to take to the air, but Brandon quickly dragged several bites along the thin skin of the monster's right wing and it was grounded. Dinah was viscously focused on little else but removing her opponents throat from it's body.

The fairies had a difficult time making out much else in the chaotic tumbling masses of fur and slime before them. They tried for about a second when the corpse of the monster that had taken to the air with Nora dropped down in front of them, causing both of them to cry out and jump back. Nora followed it, swiftly touching her feet to it's dead flesh before launching towards the last of the creatures that pursued them. It didn't seem to care that she had managed to kill three of its ranks; it flew towards her and they slammed into each other. Nora hissed like a feral cat, and the monster screamed in her face. She wasted no time reaching for a pistol and she place one clean shot through it's brain. It exploded like her first kill had, and she found herself dropping back to the ground, covered in florescent yellow jelly.

Nora turned to where both werewolves were in the process of terminating Dinah's initial opponent, and seeing that they had the situation under control she stepped towards the fairies.

"It seems we are powerless here," Claude mumbled, his eyes wide and his complexion paler that Sookie had ever seen, "Against these things. I...well...thank you vampire," he whispered.

"Thank my brother. He cares for your friend. He is the only reason I haven't eaten either of you," Nora muttered, scowling as she scooped thick layers of slime from her face and neck.

The werewolves stepped towards them and as they completed their approach they both morphed back into their naked human forms.

"I think maybe we were heading the right way," Dinah said as she spat repeatedly, trying to clear her mouth of the foul taste her kill had left in it.

"I agree," Nora nodded, "I..." she started saying something else, when she heard something.

The wolves heard it too, and after a moment, both fairies jerked a little and turned in the direction from which the strange noise was coming.

It was a laugh.

A snicker.

...

Pam sighed before reaching her index finger to Tara's cheek and redirecting her progeny's stare from the bedroom door, where she'd just unexpectedly heard her cousin's voice. Tara's expression softened when their gazes met. Pam lifted her lips to Tara's and she placed a gentle kiss on them.

"Back to it," she muttered quietly.

Tara rolled her eyes and groaned in reply, before slowly prying her body away from her maker's. Pam grinned at her minor fit. They threw their clothes and shoes on quickly, taking turns to make use of the bathroom they both somewhat wished they'd paused to notice earlier. They washed their faces and arms of residual traces of their journey thus far.

Tara hoisted the bag of weapons over her shoulder and moved towards the door, turning back to glance at Pam before opening it. She caught her maker's eyes and she smiled at her shyly, the realization of what had just transpired between them creeping into her. Pam sauntered up to her and she placed a soft kiss on her lips, pouring affection towards Tara through the bond; through the touch of her fingers on the younger woman's face.

"Hey," she whispered, her eyes fixed on Tara's and warm, though her expression was deadly serious, "I need you to focus now. I need you on top of your shit."

Tara nodded, hardening her jaw and straightening her posture.

"Yup," Tara whispered in response, nodding her head.

"Good girl," Pam purred. She placed a quick kiss on Tara's forehead before reaching around the younger vampire for the doorknob. Tara stepped out of her way and followed her out of the room that had a provided them an escape for not nearly long enough. They both looked hard as nails as they re-entered the living area.

Eric beamed as he lifted his gaze from the weapon he was loading, his pride getting the better of him in that moment. His progeny and his grand-progeny were ready to take on the beast that had caused Godric's spirit discomfort with him; they were ready to face unknown dangers by his side, dangers beyond those they had already survived, and it moved him.

Had he more time he would have reflected on the fact that Sookie really had turned him into more of a sap than he wanted to be comfortable with, but he didn't.

"Ladies," he hummed.

"Ahem...hrrrmhmm...sluts," Lafayette coughed rudely, a wicked grin on his face.

Pam glared at him.

Tara just rolled her eyes.

"What the hell you doin' here, man?" she asked her cousin, her brow furrowing slightly as she tried to imagine scenarios that would explain what the hell he was doing there.

"It's a long goddamn story," he sighed.

"Your cousin was enlisted by the ghosts of Sookie's grandmother and my maker to aid us in our endeavors," Eric explained casually, checking the magazine of another pistol before holstering it.

"Okay, so maybe it's not as long as I remembered," Lafayette muttered, scratching his head.

"Heh,' Tara's expression softened towards him, "That's what she said," she mumbled under her breath and Lafayette laughed an exhausted, but genuine laugh, while her maker shot her eyes over at her.

"Really, Tara?" Pam groaned.

"Yeah...sorry," Tara said, clearing her throat and flattening her expression quickly, though her eyes still twinkled towards her cousin who seemed to perk up as he saw the tiny human who had welcomed them into the lair creeping back towards them.

"Here ya go, honey," Pearl smiled as she handed Lafayette a massive sandwich and glass of sweet tea.

"Oooh, Miss Pearl, you done saved my life just now!" Lafayette cooed at her and she giggled, patting him on the shoulder warmly.

"Northman, you're gonna let my Jed drive y'all to Nawlin's so this sweet boy can get some rest, ya hear?" Pearl ordered, looking over at Eric, her expression not welcoming any argument from the thousand year old viking warrior vampire.

"Yes, of course, Pearl," Eric nodded politely, unwilling to upset the little woman as he was well aware of what she meant to a vampire who's allegiance he was counting on in the nights to come. He turned his attention back to Pam and Tara, "We will head out as soon as he gets back from filling up the van."

They nodded and Tara set their bag down to examine what they had left in the way of weapons as Pam stepped towards him.

"Jessica?" she whispered, and Tara's ears perked towards them at the sound of her friend's name.

"He took her," Eric answered her quietly, "and he would have ended me had it not been for Lafayette's intervention. We will try to be nicer to him from here on out."

"Mmmhrrmm," Lafayette smirked as he scarfed down the his first decent meal in far too long, "Dassshright, bertchis."

"Language, sonny," Pearl chirped, handing Tara a six pack of in date B+ Tru-Blood that she'd found buried in the back of her pantry.

"Mmm...sorr mrssh purrl," he mumbled, taking another bite.

Tara stuffed the bottles into the duffel bag and she zipped it up, pulling it over her shoulder again. She walked up next to Pam and she met her grand-sire's eyes.

"She's not dead then?" she asked Eric, her voice betraying a little hope, but her expression severe.

"No, I don't think so. I..." Eric started, unsure if he should divulge what he knew of Lillith's plan for Bill's spawn, or what they might be forced to do about it, but deciding it would be best if they knew, "Lillith is also on the hunt for her remains. If she finds them, there is a chance that she will try to use Jessica as her next vessel, in which case we will have to..." Eric explained.

While Pam's expression remained neutral, her eyes seemed to sadden just slightly. She nodded, understanding.

"What?" Tara pressed, her frown deepening, "We'll have to what?"

"Dispose of her...before it comes to that," Eric answered calmly.

"No," Tara muttered, shaking her head, her eyes narrowing, "No fucking way."

"We'll hope it doesn't come to that, Tara," her grand site tried to reassure her, "As far as I understand, however, Jessica, sharing Bill's blood, would prove an easier transfer for Lillith than most."

"Yeah, well," Tara growled, her hands rising to her hips defiantly, "We're just gonna have to stop him...them...fucking...it. She's our friend."

"We'll try," Pam stated evenly.

A quiet buzz sounded through the room a second later. Both Pam and Tara's fangs descended upon hearing it. Lafayette nearly choked on the last bite of his sandwich as he jumped to his feet, balling his fists at his sides. Eric and Pearl appeared unsurprised at the sound, and Pearl chuckled quietly as she moved towards the ladder that allowed for entry into the space.

"Y'all sure are a twitchy bunch," she laughed, nodding up towards the opening, "That's Jed. He's ready for y'all."

"Excellent," Eric smiled over at her, before gesturing to the rest of the group, "Let's move."

They gathered their belongings, Pam and Tara situating weapons on their bodies and locking eyes with each other, silently checking in, as Lafayette downed one final gulps of Pearl's sweet tea. In a second their were ready. Lafayette's stepped towards Pearl, taking both her wrinkled pale hands in his and squeezing them affectionately.

"Miss Pearl, you kept me going another day," he told her and she nodded, smiling up at him.

"Don't let these vampires bully ya now, ya hear?" Pearl insisted, patting him on his shoulder as he turned to make his way up the ladder. She turned to Eric, her expression severe all of a sudden, "Best make sure my boys get back to me, Viking. Not in a jar."

"I'll do what I can, Pearl," Eric promised, to which the old woman nodded.

The rest of the group started up the ladder and were gone in seconds leaving Pearl alone in the lair again, wringing her hands together for a second before she sighed, turning and stepping towards her couch.

Tara was the last to climb back through the opening in the bathroom of the trailer. She had forgotten what to expect as she was assaulted by the odor in the small room. She grimaced as she straightened the strap of her bag on her shoulder, quickly stepping away from the nauseating scene and catching up with Eric and Pam, who were exiting the trailer.

Jed was leaning up against the passenger side door of the van, waiting for them, another joint pinched between his fingers and hovering by his mouth. Lafayette walked right up to him.

"You mind?" he asked, leering at the marijuana hungrily.

Jed didn't mind. He handed the joint to Lafayette without a word and the cook took a long pull from it, sighing as he breathed out a thick cloud of smoke.

"Load up," Eric ordered the group, rolling the side door of the van open and climbing into the back seat.

Jed put out his joint, saving the butt for later, and he sauntered over to the driver's side as Lafayette took his place riding shotgun. Pam crept in quietly and sat next to her maker and Tara followed her closing the door behind her. Jed started the ignition and the engine revved. They were off, New Orleans bound.

"So we're meeting your posse there?" Tara asked Eric, craning her head to look over at him.

"Yes," Eric answered her, looking down at his phone and sending a text before stuffing it in a pocket and turning to her, "Cameron, his people, and another group. The sun will be rising soon so we'll should be met with minimal resistance on the way. Most humans and their military forces have gone north," he finished.

"Whate'er we do meet, ah can handle," Jed added gruffly from the front of the van.

"Is that so?" Pam drawled, arching an eyebrow in response to his confident statement.

Jed let his right hand rest on an assault rifle positioned at his side, drawing the group's attention to it for the first time.

"Yup," he told her, meeting her eyes through the rear view mirror.

"An east Texas stoner hick and a faggy sleep deprived line cook delivering us into the belly of the beast," Pam groaned as she settled back into the seat.

"Mmmhmm," Lafayette chimed in, "And the ghost of Sookie's gran. Best not forget that shit, bitch."

Pam curled her lip and glared at him, crossing her arms at her chest. Tara settled into the seat next to her and she absentmindedly rested her head on Pam's shoulder, shutting her eyes to rest them. Pam didn't move for a moment, beyond cutting her eyes over to her progeny to acknowledge the action.

Eric let himself stare for a second before turning away, a tiny grin on his lips. Lafayette let himself stare for a second, expecting any sort of negative response from his cousin's maker, despite the noises he'd heard coming from their room earlier.

Pam huffed and rolled her eyes. She uncrossed her arms and let one pale hand rest on Tara's thigh. Tara's instinctively found that hand and she linked their fingers together, her eyes still shut and her expression calm.

Lafayette's eyes warmed before he turned back to the road watch before them.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing!

**Author's Note:** You have all waited forever and it pains me! Here you go. We're nearing the end. PLEASE review. It helps.

...

The group turned towards the laughter, all taking defensive positions. It seemed to grow a little louder; to get a little closer.

Something in the voice of whatever approached them; something about the inflection of its giggles, caused hairs to rise up on the backs of their necks and chills to crawl up their spines.

"Creatures of the sun they have no power here," it mumbled, still giggling, its voice high pitched and scratchy, "No, no, no...no defense here. No defense," he continued.

It was a male and it looked human, but it's skin was ghostly white and papery thin. What little clothing he wore was in tattered and he was filthy. He smelled as if he soiled himself daily, and as if the only sustenance he'd been granted in too long had been rotten. His black hair was long and matted, clumps of some foul material caked in it. He was rail thin, every bone in his body clearly visible. The black irises of his beady eyes twitched left to right repeatedly, never stopping.

He was a fairy. Nora knew it, the scent of his blood, though probably septic and toxic to any vampire at this point, was distinct. Claude knew it too, instinctively able to feel his own kind, even in such a state.

"Not even death" he chattered, his gaze unfocused, "No, no, no...not even death as escape. No, no, no defense here," he finished before breaking out into a fit of manic laughter.

"What is your name?" Claude addressed him finally as the rest of the group just watched him, their eyes full of disgust or of pity.

"No, no, no!" the fairy sang, his voice cracking a little, "No names here!"

"Claude?" Sookie eyed her friend, unsure that they should engage the stranger, but Claude ignored her.

"Brother, what is your name?" Claude asked again, stepping towards the other fairy very slowly.

"No names, no names," the stranger whispered, his expression growing pained as he reached both hands to his head and started tugging at his hair, pulling himself down until he was on his knees before them.

"We don't have time for this," Nora hissed, her hands rising to her hips.

"NO TIME HERE!" the fairy screeched as he started tearing at his scalp, ripping out thick chunk of hair, "No death! No death for the bright ones here!"

He jumped up to his feet then and twos sets of werewolf eyes shone yellow. Brandon and Dinah crouched down, ready to shift, and Nora whipped her pistols from their holsters, training both on the sad excuse for a living being.

He started panting heavily, and then he giggled again, a sly grin forming on his mouth.

"I know what you seeeek," he whispered teasingly, "The beast...the beast...the beast is baaaack. The bitch hid the body, but the beast...the beast is back," he mumbled, laughing again as he wrapped his arms around his upper body, "Heehee...I know what they seeeek."

"Sodding hell," Nora gawked, her eyes widening. She lowered her guns just a fraction of an inch.

"The beast, Claude," Sookie stammered, "Claude he..."

Before she voiced the rest of her thought, however, she was interrupted by a glittering blast of light shooting from Claude's fingers, directly into the mad fairy who stood before them.

"No!" Sookie yelled out, reaching for her friend's arm to try and stop what she saw as an attack.

"Fairy!" Nora shouted then, quickly stepping towards Claude in an attempt to help Sookie stop him, but before the vampire reached him the blinding light from his hands fizzled away. He stumbled backwards a few steps, spent for the moment.

"What the...shit...Claude?!" Sookie stuttered, helping to steady him, her expression confused as she turned towards the man.

"What the bloody fuck was that?!" Nora bellowed, her eyes wide, "We needed him!"

Dinah and stepped towards Claude and freed Sookie of some of the burden of his weight, but Brandon kept his gaze fixed on the man now huddled and sobbing on the ground.

"Brother," Claude called out, his chest heaving. The other fairy's eyes, now focused and steady, rose to meet his, "What is your name?

"My name..." he breathed, choking on another sob, "I haven't heard it in so long. I haven't spoken it."

"Speak it," Claude insisted, his breathing settling and his feet feeling more firmly grounded beneath him.

"Auberon," he whispered, "My name is Auberon."

"Mab's king?" Claude muttered, his eyes growing wide and his expression disbelieving, "The fallen king?"

"The tricked king," Auberon corrected, tears still streaming from his eyes, "The abandoned king."

"Auberon...? Oberon. The king of the fairies," Dinah whispered, glancing at her brother before looking back down at the shell of a king on his knees before them.

"Dang," Sookie breathed.

"You said you know what we seek," Nora barked, stepping forward.

"Aye," Auberon nodded, trying to collect himself, "The remains. Lillith's."

"Where?" the vampire asked then, her eyes narrowing.

"I...I've moved them...over the years," Auberon answered her, confusion clouding his expression, "I need to think...to remember."

"Zap him again," Nora ordered Claude then, huffing and annoyed now.

"No!" Sookie said, stepping between the two fairies, though Claude had made no move to indicate a desire to follow through with Nora's command, "Just...give him a minute, geez. I mean, look at him."

Nora rolled her eyes, moving away from them slightly as Sookie took a tentative step forward.

"Do you think you'll be able to remember?" the halting asked quietly, crouching down so that she was eye level with the king, "If you think on it, I mean...? Could you lead us to them?"

Auberon frowned for a moment, lost in his fractured memory, but he eventually nodded.

"Aye," he answered, meeting Sookie's gaze, "Yes, but it will be dangerous, and...you must know, other hunt for them as well. Beings not of this plane."

"Lillith," Nora muttered.

"Yes," Auberon nodded, shakily rising to his feet, "I fear as much."

...

The coffin lids had sealed down over them several hours before, and Pam and Tara slept in each other's arms for the rest of the drive into the city of New Orleans, Eric resting fitfully in another travel coffin tucked next to their's in the rear of the van.

Jed and Lafayette had little to say to each other on the way, but their silence was mostly comfortable, helped by the fact that they kept themselves high as kites. Lafayette managed to doze off once, but a bump in the rode had his body jerking awake and on edge.

They were met with no threats on the drive and soon enough they were pulling the van slowly through the alleyway that led to the rear entry of Eric's safe house. They unloaded the coffins, both falling into a fit of quiet giggles when they dropped Eric's container on its head.

They accessed the entrance to the safe house's underground quarters, following Eric's instructions to the letter, and once inside the modestly decorated living area, they locked up behind them, arming the security system as Eric had ordered.

They were finally able to rest, plopping down on two black leather couches that, while dusty, were welcoming and comfortable.

The top of Eric's coffin hissed open at dusk and he rose out of it, silently stretching his shoulders. He eyed his surroundings, making note of the two humans sleeping soundly and of the other coffin that had been set to his left. He decided to let his party sleep a little longer and he quietly stepped towards a desk positioned in a far corner of the room. Settling himself into a plush black office chair, he opened the laptop computer that was resting on the desk.

Pam was the next to wake, a half hour after her maker, and as cramped as she had been the last time she had been forced to go to ground in a plastic box. She smiled at the realization, however, knowing that it meant that her progeny was next to her and safe. Tara's strong arms were wrapped around Pam's waist and their legs were entwined. She trailed a slender hand from where it rested on Tara's neck up to the younger woman's cheek and she touched her there, slowly dragging the tips of her fingers along the smooth dark skin, over Tara's jaw and back up to her brow. She had never loved like this. It thundered through her, the rhythm the same that her heart would have beaten were she still alive in the human sense.

It thundered into Tara as well, and the younger vampire woke quietly. For the first time in as long as she could remember she didn't wake up afraid, or in a panic. She grinned, her eyelids fluttering open as tightened her hold on her maker.

"Mmmm..." she purred, burying her head the nook of Pam's shoulder and breathing her in, "I was dreaming. You were a queen and you were knighting me," she whispered.

Pam grinned and chuckled lightly.

"How...cliche'," she murmured, her body molding into Tara's.

Tara laughed then too.

"Asshole," she muttered under her breath, pouting a little, "It was nice."

Pam sighed, pressing soft kisses on the side of Tara's head, her hands running up her progeny's side slowly. Tara's pout faded. She lifted her head from her maker's shoulder and she claimed the older woman's mouth with her own, kissing her deeply.

The lid to their coffin hissed open and the dim light from the room assaulted them. Eric stood over them, his expression serious, but a twinkle in his eye.

"Noooo," Tara whined, burying her head again, as Pam directed a hateful glare towards him.

"Up," he commanded evenly before stepping towards the humans who still slumbered. He kicked the backs of their couches, "Up," he repeated.

Lafayette shot up to his feet, his fists balled at his sides and his sleepy expression confused. He started to relax after a few seconds, taking in his surroundings and remembering where he was. He settled back onto the couch, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Jed woke much more easily, stretching like a cat and yawning as he reached for his Stetson.

Pam stepped out of their coffin gracefully, and Tara followed right her, pulling her arms back behind her head and cracking her shoulders and her back.

"Cameron will be joining us shortly and we'll move out. Everyone be ready for a fight," Eric started, addressing the whole group, "They have secured a location in the quarter, five blocks from where Bill has apparently established himself. His followers have concentrated there, but I'm told he has his better trained forces spread throughout the city and numbering in the hundreds."

"Just did as I was told," Lafayette whispered then, very quietly. He lowered his head, his eyes shifting from the empty space on the couch to his right, to the floor, "Ain't no thang."

"Lafayette?" Tara muttered, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion as the rest of the group turned their attention to him as well.

"Yup?" her cousin shot his head up to look at her.

"You good?" she inquired quietly.

"Yup," Lafayette sighed, nodding.

Pam arched an eyebrow at him as she armed herself.

"You were just talking to yourself," she drawled, "Explain."

"I wasn't talking to myself. Ol' lady Stackhouse," he muttered, his head tilting slightly to his right, "She here."

"She is?" Tara breathed, a small smile making its way onto her mouth.

"Yep. She thinks you look good, cuz," Lafayette nodded, smiling then too, "Says the change suits you and...she says you makin' her proud."

Tara beamed then, her head dropping shyly.

Pam couldn't help but watch her, transfixed, and Eric watched her in turn, a sly smile gracing his features.

The moment was interrupted by a knock at door to the small lair which caused five heads to jerk in the direction from which it sounded. There was another knock, louder than the first, and Pam trained her gun on the door without thought or hesitation. Eric raised a hand towards her, calming her momentarily with a look. He stepped toward the door, disarming the security system at the key pad to its left, before easing it open. A man pushed his way into the lair roughly. He was dressing in black combat attire, and he pulled a black ski mask over his head, revealing a thickly bearded and mustached face, and imposing eyebrows. He would have been about forty years old when turned, and white and gray flecks were peppered through his coarse black hair. He was several inches taller than Eric, and large. Very large.

"Come the fuck on!" their guest grumbled, slamming the door shut behind him, and bracing his body against it, "Fuck!"

"Cameron," Eric greeted the vampire, frowning slightly, "Welcome."

"Shove it, Northman," Cameron huffed, "Fuck...weren't ya watching the goddamned monitor?"

"I wasn't actually," Eric grinned, "I figured you would knock. As you did."

"Yeah, I did. Fuckin' twice," Cameron scowled at the viking, "That's a fuck of a lotta noise to be makin'. It's a fucking nightmare out there. What the fuck did you let happen, you little shit?!"

Pam focused her aim on the vampire's chest.

"Calm the fuck down," she hissed, glaring at their visitor.

"Ya best mind how ya talk to mah granpappy," Jed muttered then, now awake and alert. He snapped up his assault rifle and aimed it at her heart, cocking it casually, and drawing all eyes towards him, save Pam's.

Hers remained fixed.

Tara's fangs were down in an instant, but before she could make a move she found herself held in place by Eric, who had sped to her side, snatching the gun from Pam's hands in the process. Cameron was behind Jed, plucking his weapon from him just and quickly, before he redneck had time to process what had happened. Cameron knocked his hat from the top of his greasy head and smacked him upside it.

Eric deposited Tara at her maker's side, pointedly frowning at Pam, who rolled her eyes as she pulled Tara towards her.

Lafayette just watched, horrified, pressing himself further back into the couch on which he still sat.

Cameron chuckled then, his belly shaking as he looked towards Eric.

"Looks like everyone's in a mood to kill," he grinned, "That's a plus. We should move."

"Very well," Eric agreed, nodding towards the rest of his group, who all stood and readied themselves, "Let's go."


End file.
